ALPENA — A new ordinance designed to address blight within the City of Alpena will go into effect on Tuesday.

The Alpena Municipal Council on Tuesday approved the second reading of the ordinance during its council meeting.

“We’ve had different issues over the course of several years and really haven’t had a specific blight (ordinance) where it describes specifically what blight is,” Mayor Matt Waligora said. “So now this ordinance just describes it a little bit better so people are aware of what they can and can’t have in their yard.”

The ordinance addresses multiple kinds of blight, including junk, junk automobiles, unsheltered building materials, partially completed structures, uninhabitable structures, vacant buildings, and unmaintained buildings.

City residents who violate the ordinance could be notified in-person, via a door hanger, or through the mail. Subsequent violations would result in a municipal fine. It was not immediately clear how much the fine would be.

The ordinance includes a provision allowing police to grant residents additional time to clean up when they are trying to remove the blight, in case of a delay that’s out of the property owner’s control, or unforeseen circumstances.

In other business

The Alpena Municipal Council on Tuesday also

∫ agreed to carry over $45,000 from the 2021 budget to the 2022 budget, which began July 1, to purchase a new patrol vehicle and related equipment.

∫ will allow Harbormaster Shannon Smolinski to submit a $5,000 community impact grant application to the Community Foundation of Northeast Michigan for lighting upgrades at the marina.

∫ City officials would like to replace the existing high profile lights along the breakwall walkway with lower profile bollard lighting, which will allow people the option of enjoying the view without the bulkier poles interfering.

∫ City officials have set aside $15,000 in matching funds for light pole replacements at the marina.

∫ approved a resolution of support to partner with Lafarge as the company prepares to submit a $5 million grant for dock improvements at its Alpena plant. The grant is offered through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration Port Infrastructure Development Program.

∫ The city is partnering with Lafarge because a stipulation in the grant requires the funding to be awarded to a unit of government. The city would also oversee the spending of funds and submit prepared paperwork as part of the project.