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<br />November 28, 2018, Work Session – Item 1 <br />EUGENE CITY COUNCIL <br />AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY <br /> <br /> Work Session: Nuisance Codes Meeting Date: November 28, 2018 Agenda Item Number: 1 Department: Planning and Development Staff Contact: Mark Whitmill <br />www.eugene-or.gov Contact Telephone Number: 541-682-5128 <br /> <br />ISSUE STATEMENT This work session provides an opportunity for City Council to discuss and provide feedback on proposed code amendment language that would address the impacts to neighborhoods caused by abandoned and derelict properties as well as nuisance odors related to the growing and processing of marijuana, especially in residential neighborhoods. <br />BACKGROUND The purpose of the City’s code compliance program is to ensure the public’s safety, health, welfare and environment by enforcing regulations that preserve, protect and improve neighborhoods. At the July 23, 2018, work session staff provided an overview of the code compliance program that included: <br />• An overview of the City’s nuisance, zoning and building codes already in place. <br />• Tools used to achieve code compliance. <br />• Impacts of vacant, abandoned, and dangerous buildings. <br />• Impacts related to odor as a result of marijuana processing. <br />Marijuana Odor Since the legalization of commercial, medical and recreational marijuana, the City has seen an increase in the number of odor complaints. The complaints are typically in regards to the intense odor that occurs during the processing of the plant. State law allows for persons to grow and process up to 12 mature plants and 24 immature plants per residence. Commercial and mixed use zones may allow for higher numbers of plant propagation and processing. The existing code used to enforce odor was adopted several decades ago. Prior to legalization, staff enforced using the existing odor language without challenge. More recently, however, the City has received several requests for appeal to a hearings official, leading to a current hold on enforcement action. The code as written is not adequate to address these types of complaints. <br />Vacant Buildings City staff respond every year to a significant number of complaints related to vacant and abandoned properties. A number of reasons can cause a home or building to remain vacant,