CITY HALL WATCH

By John McNamara

Housing and taxes are usually topics as hot as this week’s weather and both are on the agenda of the Common Council’s Committee on Administration, Finance and  Law at 7 p.m. today at a City Hall public hearing and meeting.

Four Republican aldermen have proposed changes to the city’s anti-blight ordinance that would reduce fines and penalties that can be imposed on absentee landlords for neglecting or walking away from multi-unit housing.  Revisions would also amend some definitions of what constitutes “blighting conditions” but leaves most of them intact.

At issue is how tough the city will be on absentee owners responsible for blight.  The current ordinance states that blighted properties will be subject a fine of $250 per blighted condition per day after a 30-day grace period. The fine will double if not paid within 10 days of issuance. The proposal advanced by…