Milford homeowners and business owners could face fines of up to $100 per day for peeling paint, broken signs or junk vehicles under a proposed property maintenance code headed to the city's Committee of the Whole on Aug. 18.
The revised Chapter 1312, marked as a draft for review in the city's agenda packet, would require all buildings and structures in Milford to be kept in safe, sanitary condition. Each day a property remains out of compliance would count as a separate offense.
The code spells out specific obligations: exterior walls, roofs, chimneys, gutters, porches, windows, storefronts, signs and awnings must all be kept in good repair. Peeling or flaking surfaces must be recoated. Non-operative electrical signs must be fixed or removed. In residential zones, outdoor storage lasting more than 15 days must be screened from view or kept in an enclosed building, with exemptions for play structures, firewood and operable vehicles. Inoperative or unlicensed motor vehicles would be banned from any property unless stored in an approved enclosed structure.
The draft retains a 20-day appeal window for property owners who receive a violation notice.
Valley View asks for $7,500
Also on the agenda, Valley View Nature Preserve executive director Vanessa Hannah is requesting $7,500 from the city to support the nonprofit's stewardship and community programming. Hannah sent the request in a July 2 letter to City Manager Benjamin Gunderson and Mayor Ralph Villardo.
"I respectfully ask you to consider a contribution of $7,500 to help sustain our stewardship, community engagement, and ensure that Valley View remains a welcoming place for residents, families, schools, and wildlife now and in the future," Hannah wrote in the letter.
The 190-acre preserve at 790 Garfield Ave. owns roughly 8% of the land within Milford's city limits and operates as a 501(c)(3) with one full-time employee.
Lagoon-cleaning proposal tops $170,000
The committee will also review a $170,860 lump-sum proposal from Utter Construction of Bethel for lime sludge excavation and disposal. The Aug. 5 proposal, prepared by Dillon Utter, calls for removing approximately 3,600 cubic yards of material over three weeks using a long-reach excavator, a site truck and seven dump trucks. The work would run 10-hour shifts, four days per week.
The proposal notes that a dump location has not yet been identified, and actual hours could vary depending on where the material is hauled.
The Committee of the Whole meets at 7 p.m. Aug. 18, in the Mike Minniear Council Chambers on the first floor of Milford City Hall. The meeting includes a public comment period.
