By Andrea Justice | Arizona Silver Belt
With the help of the AZ House of Representatives, the Globe City Council is making strategic moves in the battle against negligent building owners in Globe’s Historic District.
At the Feb. 11 meeting, council members agreed to sign a letter of support for House Bill 2705; Vacant; Abandoned Buildings. The bill would allow the city to charge a fee to place buildings on a registration list of vacant buildings. Building owners would be required to carry insurance and be available for building inspections.
Escalating fees for non-compliance would eventually apply, and if passed for the first time the City of Globe would have the power to identify current building owners and fight code violations that restrict development in Globe.
The letter, addressed to Speaker of the House Russell Bowers, reiterates the ongoing issues the City of Globe has had with “poorly secured empty buildings”. “Recently, our neighbor, the Town of Miami lost many historic buildings in a single fire. Globe has lost several buildings in our Historic District due to fires.
