(Graham Jaehnig/Daily Mining Gazette) While the facade of the Ruppe building on Fifth Street in Calumet remains as ornate as when it was built, the roof, rear and north wall of the structure are in danger of caving in, and onto the former Family Store. The village has announced it will begin enforcement of its blight ordinance.

CALUMET — The Calumet Village Council will begin addressing blight issues this fall with ordinances now fully in place and enforceable under state law, stated Village Manager Caleb Katz in a release.

The subject of blight ordinances began to heat up in May, when Downtown Development Chairwoman Leah Polzien asked the council to enforce the village’s blight and dangerous buildings ordinances.

During the regular May meeting, then Trustee Virginia Dwyer said that Jim Tercha, the village attorney, had suggested a year before the council contact an attorney to assist with ordinance enforcement.

Earlier this year, the village contracted Kendricks, Bordau, Keefe, Seavoy & Larson, a law firm specializing in municipal law, to update the village’s ordinances regarding blight and dangerous buildings, and to provide guidance on instituting the enforcement process. As a result, the village of Calumet’s ordinances are now in compliance with state statutes, and are fully enforceable.

The village decided it was time to take action against negligent building owners in July, when Real People Media (RPM), the new owners of the former Family Dollar Store on Fifth Street, sent a letter to the council in which the board of RPM requested the village take immediate action against the owners of the Ruppe building, at 211 Fifth Street, adjacent to the Family Dollar building. The letter was written by Rebecca Glotfelty, executive director of RPM, and threatened the village with legal action as failure to reinforce the blight and dangerous buildings ordinances would result in the collapse of the Ruppe Building, and would cause damage to the RPM building.

Based on the recommendations of the contracted law firm, the village also adopted a Municipal Infractions Bureau ordinance, which allows for greater local control, the release states. The ordinance provides for fines to paid directly to the village, and gives the village the opportunity to work with property owners to remedy situations.

Until now, the village has focused its efforts on the most dangerous situations, such as Ruppe building, but starting in spring 2020, blight enforcement will be initiated village-wide. The village is happy is happy to work with property owners to resolve issues, and has developed tools to help residents and commercial property owners achieve compliance.

Trustee Nathan Anderson has said many times during regular meetings that the village is not targeting any specific individual, but rather, wants to take the necessary steps to improve the village, eliminate the risks of pedestrians being struck by debris falling from un-maintained buildings, and improve the appearance of the village overall.

The village’s plans include using innovative techniques in GIS mapping made available to them by Land Grid Technologies, which may involve the use of a mobile app that allows on-the-spot property surveys and time-stamped photography to document issues. The information will be confidential, but be instantly documented and easily available for future use.

Enforcement efforts will begin with generalized informational letters, reminding property owners what the laws are, and what they can expect if they do not comply.

Property owners are encouraged, the release states, visit www.villageofcalumet.com for more information.