City Manager Gibbons presented an option Nov. 3 to create an administrative hearing bureau (AHB) — a quasi‑judicial forum staffed by a licensed hearing officer — to adjudicate blight, zoning and related property maintenance violations more quickly than the current municipal civil infraction process.
“The creation of an administrative hearings bureau is specifically authorized by section 4 q of the Home Rule,” City Attorney Kevin Bennett told the council, summarizing the statute and listing categories that may be designated as blight for administrative handling, including zoning, property maintenance, solid waste, illegal dumping and sanitation. Bennett said appeals from AHB decisions would go to the circuit court, bypassing district court appeal routing for municipal civil infractions.
City Manager Gibbons and staff described the AHB process as offering a licensed hearing officer who could issue orders to abate at the hearing, and, if necessary, allow the city to abate and place the cost as a judgment (including collection via tax liens or other methods). Gibbons said the AHB could be used selectively — for repeat or chronic offenders — while the municipal civil infraction bureau could remain in place for minor or one‑time violations.
Councilmembers raised procedural and cost questions. Council member Dole said she preferred enforcement appear in one forum rather than splitting cases based on repeat‑offender status. Council member Hughes described a past instance where the city took about nine months to resolve a repeat offender and said an expedited process could address similar future cases. Staff said there is an upfront cost to establish the bureau but noted the process allows the city to recover costs and fines through judgments.
No formal action was taken. Council asked staff to provide annual caseload numbers that would qualify for AHB handling, estimated program costs and proposed policies for when a case would be routed to the AHB versus the municipal civil infraction process.
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