On March 11, 2020 City Council held a Code Enforcement and Lien Workshop during which consensus was reached by Council for staff to move forward with developing a policy or ordinance establishing parameters by which the City Manager would have discretionary authority to reduce lien amounts. 

Since that time, legal staff has developed an ordinance that would provide such authority to the City Manager. The ordinance would also provide similar authority to the municipal code enforcement board,  and Special Magistrate; provide for the reduction, satisfaction and release of liens, in general; and provide for procedure, criteria, form and limitations concerning reduction, satisfaction and release of liens.

Provisions  related to authority for reduction, satisfaction and release of liens include a maximum reduction amount of $50,000.000 by the City Manager, and $100,000.00 by the Municipal Code Enforcement Board or Code Enforcement Special Magistrate. Any reduction exceeding $100,000.00 would require approval by City Council.

Provisions also specify criteria for reduction, including a requirement that the subject property (and any other city property owned by the lienee) complies with all city codes and ordinances, payment by the lienee of all actual costs and expenses incurred by the city in connection with the lien and evidence that lienee or requesting party took proactive action to correct the violations associated with the lien.