Commissioners press staff on enforcement, vacant properties and Administrative Hearings Bureau changes

Mount Clemens — Commissioners reviewed code‑enforcement strategies and the Administrative Hearings Bureau’s expanded role in enforcing property maintenance and rental registration.

Planning and enforcement staff reported that the city has amended ordinances to allow property maintenance and rental registration enforcement through the Administrative Hearings Bureau. Staff said the city is now tracking vacant structures and reported 144 properties on the list at the end of 2025, a slight decline from earlier counts.

Commissioners asked how the city could be more aggressive with repeat problem properties and whether fines and fee structures could be made more effective. Staff said fines can escalate (staff cited the statutory authority to assess up to $10,000 in some cases) but emphasized that state statute constrains certain enforcement options. “We could provide numbers,” staff said they would consider — for example, dollars collected through AHB processes and enforcement outcomes — to improve transparency and public confidence.

Why it matters: Commissioners expressed frustration that repeat violators sometimes reappear in the open enforcement report month after month and asked staff to explore options to increase compliance after notice, including whether additional statutory tools or fee structures could be used.

Next steps: Staff will review AHB fines and fees for uniformity, prepare clearer enforcement metrics for commission review, and discuss potential statutory constraints with legal counsel before pursuing more aggressive enforcement.