By Thane Grauel

WESTPORT — The Blight Prevention Board will ask the Representative Town Meeting to increase daily fines it can levy on uncooperative property owners.

A new state law will soon allow some municipalities to do just that, while also offering an array of other tools to help gain compliance.

“The state legislature adopted a public act, approved June 7 but comes into effect Oct. 1, and it allows the town to increase its fines,” Assistant Town Attorney Eileen Lavigne Flug told board members Thursday night.

“We could now change our ordinance and increase our fines up to $150 a day for occupied properties, up to $250 a day for vacant properties, and up to $1,000 a day for sort of recidivists, people who’ve had three violations within the past 12 months,” she said.

The board currently can assess fines of only up to $100 a day against residential property owners.

“Three violations include violations that have been cured, violations that have not been cured, and it could even be different violations concurrently,” Flug said.

Another big change out of Hartford, she said, “the statute now allows blight to apply to commercial real estate, not just residential real estate.”

Board members all appeared to support increasing the maximum fines.

There were references to 233 Hillspoint Road, commonly known as the “Blue House” at Old Mill Beach. The board has been fining it as blighted for weeks, and had hoped to get the state to additionally fine it as well.

But based on a comment by member Jeffrey Stewart, it sounds like that’s not going to happen.

“Well, we have a case we are trying to increase it, but we just found out tonight the state is either-or,” Stewart said. “So, it may work in our favor that we can raise it to $250 a day on 233 Hillspoint.”

The board began levying $100-a-day fines for 233 Hillspoint Road after its meeting June 8. The structure for several years has been an unfinished eyesore for neighbors, and a headache for town agencies.

Building Official Steve Smith said suggested the higher fines and other enforcement possibilities be separated.

“Because the discussion issues could go on forever,” he said. “Let’s get the fine on the books.”

Flug said it could all happen at the same time. The board could vote on what changes to the town’s blight ordinance it wants the Representative Town Meeting to consider.

She said she could draft the proposed updated ordinance, the blight board could vote on it, and then board Chairman Joseph Strickland could present it to the RTM. Flug said it would then go through the RTM’s committee process before the full RTM discusses and votes on it.

“The RTM could amend it,” she noted. “The RTM has the right to amend ordinances.”

RTM member Louis Mall was at the online meeting. Smith said he helped shepherd the earlier ordinance through.

“I’m happy to do whatever I can to shepherd it, accommodate it, encourage it, support it,” Mall said. “Whatever you want, whatever you need.”

The board had a discussion about whether it should seek enforcement authority over dangerous trees, storage containers left for long periods, and houses in need of repainting.

“Let’s not hold up changing the fines,” Smith said.

The board quickly passed a motion, unanimously, to ask that the RTM enact the new fines allowed by the state.

Thane Grauel grew up in Westport and has been a journalist in Fairfield County and beyond for 35 years. Reach him at editor@westportjournal.com. Learn more about us here.