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Home My WebLink AboutCouncil Provided Information - 3/10/2026CITY COUNCIL OF SALT LAKE CITY 451 SOUTH STATE STREET, ROOM 304 P.O. BOX 145476, SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH 84114-5476 SLCCOUNCIL.COM TEL 801-535-7600 FAX 801-535-7651 COUNCIL STAFF REPORT CITY COUNCIL of SALT LAKE CITY www.slc.gov/council/ TO:City Council Members FROM: Michael Sanders Budget & Policy Analyst DATE:March 10. 2026 RE:RECURRING NUISANCE PROPERTIES NEW INFORMATION The following new information has been obtained since the 02/17/2026 briefing. On 03/02/2026, the Council Office received an updated proposal. This update included several additions outlined below: Some examples of nuisance conduct have been removed o Parking violations o Excessive loud noise Two examples of nuisance conduct have been added o graffiti viewable from any public right of way o idle and unfinished exterior construction activity, including site development work such as excavation or grading, for which there is no active permit(s); Two new examples of possible abatement plan requirements have been added o Installing fencing or other barrier methods in a manner permitted by applicable law o Obtaining required permits and completing their scope of work within a reasonable period of time *Please note that the examples of nuisance conduct and potential abatement plan requirements are “may include but are not limited to” and should not be interpreted to be exhaustive. Additional circumstances may qualify as nuisance conduct, and the specific abatement plan requirements can be determined based on the facts of each case. The original proposal included a 30-day ongoing violation as a qualification for a nuisance. This applied to any ongoing violation of the chapter. The updated proposal narrows that to only apply to specific nuisance conduct categories outlined below (letters match those on lines 48-86 in the proposed ordinance) (k) Litter (m) Open storage of unlicensed, inoperable, unused or abandoned vehicles or vehicle parts, unless the property is licensed for such use PROJECT TIMELINE: 1st Briefing: September 09, 2025 Follow up Briefing: February 17, 2026 Set Date: February 10, 2026 Public Hearing: March 10, 2026 Consideration: March 24, 2026 Page | 2 (n) Open storage of junk, scrap metal, lumber, wastepaper products, building materials, machinery and associated parts, interior household furniture, appliances, tree limbs and cuttings, landscape debris, garbage, industrial waste, other spent, useless, worthless or discarded materials, or materials stored or accumulated for the purpose of discarding materials that have served their original purpose (v) Idle and unfinished exterior construction activity, including site development work such as excavation or grading, for which there is no active permit(s) (w) Graffiti viewable from any public right of way The above categories are also subject to daily fines as shown in the below update fine chart Violation Tier Condition Fine Amount Daily fines for items k, m, n. v. and w 1st Violation Misses corrective action deadline in administrative citation $500 $25 2nd Violation Within 12 months of first violation and no nuisance abatement plan entered $750 $50 3rd Violation Within 12 months of second violation and no nuisance abatement plan entered $1,000 $75 4th+ Violations Within 12 months of third or later violations and no nuisance abatement plan entered $1,000 $100 It was clarified that the City may petition the Administrative Appeals Officer for relief and o Order an abatement plan o Grant an abatement order o Grant the city a judgement in the amount of accumulated civil fines POLICY QUESTIONS 1. The Council may wish to ask the Administration how closely they will be using the list of nuisance conduct examples. What will be the criteria for designating a behavior a nuisance beyond this list be? 2. During the 02/17 briefing, Council Wharton inquired about excessive noise counting as a nuisance. The Council may wish to discuss whether they agree with the removals and additions in the nuisance conduct and potential abatement plan requirements lists. Goal of the briefing: Prepare to consider the ordinance at the March 24, 2026 Formal Meeting. A public hearing is scheduled for March 10,2026. The following information was provided for the February 17 briefing. New information obtained since the 09/09/2025 briefing below. During the September 09, 2025 Work Session, the Council received a briefing on an ordinance which would: 1. Prohibit alcohol consumption in common areas of commercial and non-residential properties between 2:00 AM and 6:00 AM (this has since been removed from the current proposal) 2. Introduce an administrative process to both declare a nuisance and enforce on them Following subsequent discussions, Council Leadership requested that the Administration retransmit their proposal removing provisions related to after-hours alcohol consumption. The current proposal has removed provisions related to City after-hours alcohol consumption prohibitions and only has provisions related to nuisance declaration and enforcement. Page | 3 Please note that it is still unlawful to sell or consume alcohol at a licensed alcohol establishment generally between the hours of 2:00 AM and 10:00 AM.1 Current State Law vs. This Proposal Example – How the Ordinance Could Apply Original 09/09/2025 briefing information below: ISSUE AT-A-GLANCE ADDITIONAL & BACKGROUND INFORMATION Proposed Nuisance Declaration Process 1 Utah Code 32B-5-301(7) Page | 4 1. There are at least three separate incidents of nuisance or violent behavior at the property within 180 days. 2. Nuisance behavior keeps happening for at least 30 days in a row 3. A business has five or more police calls for nuisance issues in a single month The ordinance defines a nuisance as behavior that interferes with the health, safety or welfare of the community, materially and repeatedly infringes on the quiet enjoyment of neighboring uses, or results in the harassment of patrons or other persons. Examples of possible nuisance behaviors are included on lines 48-85 of the Legislative Draft. Upon receiving a Declaration of Nuisance or Administrative Citation, the responsible party must either: 1. Show remedial measures were taken, or 2. Enter into a nuisance abatement plan with the City. A Nuisance Abatement Plan must include: A written agreement lasting at least 12 months. Can include measures such as: o Hiring private security. o Installing lights, cameras, or metal detectors. o Changing hours of operation. o Cleaning/litter controls. o Restricting alcohol sales. o Providing camera footage to police. Plans must also identify City remedies if the plan is not followed. (Possible remedies are found on lines 205-250 of the Legislative Draft) Failure to Correct Nuisance - Penalties If no corrective action is taken or a Nuisance Abatement Plan is not place, the City may impose civil fines based on the below table: Violation Tier Condition Fine Amount 1st Violation Misses corrective action deadline in administrative citation $500 2nd Violation Within 12 months of first violation and no nuisance abatement plan entered $750 3rd Violation Within 12 months of second violation and no nuisance abatement plan entered $1,000 4th+ Violations Within 12 months of third or later violations and no nuisance abatement plan entered $1,000 If two citations are issued in any 12-month period, and the business at issue has not entered into and is in compliance with a nuisance abatement plan, then the city may suspend or revoke the associated business license. In the event of an appeal of the Administrative Citation, the Administrative Appeals Officer may Require the business enter into a Nuisance Abatement Plan Grant the City an abatement order Revoke the business license without the right to apply for another license at the property or another business premises for at least six months. Please note that there is an emergency powers clause which permits the City, in cases of imminent life/safety hazards, the ability order immediate abatement without going through the full process. Page | 5 The responsible party has 10 days to appeal the citation in accordance with City Code Chapter 2.75.