Photo by Brent Martin
By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
It should become easier for St. Joseph to find out just who is responsible for abandoned property.
The governor has signed into law a bill which contains a provision requiring the limited liability corporations, or LLCs, to disclose who is responsible for maintaining the property they own.
State Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer of Parkville sponsored the measure and says it will keep LLCs from neglecting property they own, but fail to maintain.
“This is a part of the overall effort to give the city of St. Joseph more tools in its tool belt to fix up the city, deal with dilapidated buildings, and blighted areas of town,” Luetkemeyer tells St. Joseph Post.
Luetkemeyer says the city has found it hard to contact some behind LLCs which have allow property to deteriorate. He says the measure fits well with the St. Joseph Land Bank bill, which Gov. Mike Parson signed during a ceremony at St. Joseph City Hall in June.
“But the point is that both of these things are aimed at what we know is a problem in St. Joe, which is urban blight and areas of town that have fallen into disrepair,” according to Luetkemeyer.
Luetkemeyer says the LLC measure and the Land Bank bill complement each other.
“These bills both work hand in hand. They help the city accomplish their goal of trying to clean up the city and reduce crime,” Luetkemeyer says.
Both are modeled after successful programs in St. Louis and Kansas City.
“What I will tell you is we have done our part in the legislature now at this point to give the city the tools that it needs to help clean up the city,” Luetkemeyer says. “Now, it’s really up to the mayor and it’s up to the city councilmembers to use those tools effectively and, hopefully, produce similar types of results of what we have seen in St. Louis and Kansas City.”
St. Joseph city councilmembers moved this week to create a seven-member St. Joseph Land Bank board. The board will be authorized to buy up abandoned property to be renovated into businesses, homes, or for public use such as a neighborhood park.
The LLC provision was added to HB 959 by Sen. Luetkemeyer late in the legislative session.
Gov. Mike Parson shakes Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer's hand after signing HB 959/Photo courtesy of Missouri Senate