PETERSBURG, Va. (AP) - The struggling city of Petersburg, Virginia, is undertaking new initiatives to tackle its long-running issue of blighted buildings.
The Progress-Index reports Petersburg is planning a city government reorganization that will create a new department to handle code enforcement.
The city council will also consider at its next meeting allowing the use of civil code violations. Currently the city only has the power to levy criminal code violations, which require that the violator is personally served. Officials say that gets tricky with out-of-state owners.
Citizens are also being asked to help identify and report code violations through “windshield surveys” as they drive through town.
A decrepit Ramada Inn visible from Interstate 95 has drawn particular ire from residents. The city has already brought some code violations against its owner.
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Information from: The Progress-Index, http://www.progress-index.com
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