Bethel weighs a climbing fee to force action on empty buildings

Bethel is trying to force something to happen with its empty buildings. Under a draft rewrite of the city's nuisance code returning to the Planning Commission on Thursday, owners of vacant buildings would have to register them with the city and pay a fee that climbs the longer the building sits empty — $100 the first year, $500 the second, and $1,000 or more each year after that.

The ordinance would treat a building as vacant once it has gone 180 days without lawful use, with exceptions for seasonal properties, those genuinely up for sale or rent, and those under an active building permit. Owners would have to register within 30 days, post a no-trespassing sign with their contact information, and board up and maintain the building. The city could enforce the rules with fines and liens, and the rewrite broadens what counts as a public nuisance to include junk yards, unsightly lots and visible mold in lodging.

Derelict buildings are a persistent problem in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta hub, where the cost of barging in materials and labor makes both upkeep and demolition expensive. Beyond the registration fees, the city is also weighing a demolition-assistance program. Commissioners asked in July for more information before moving ahead, and the ordinance would take effect only if the City Council passes it.