New Milford to Revamp Blight Ordinance

NEW MILFORD, CT — Mayor Pete Bass has charged a panel of various town department heads with reviewing and updating New Milford's blight ordinance in an attempt to address blighted properties, mostly on abandoned and neglected private property.

First adopted in 1999, New Milford's current ordinance is limited to buildings, as opposed to properties in general. The panel will present the Mayor's Office and Town Council with a draft of a new or revised ordinance. A public hearing will be held before the Town Council shortly thereafter.

"Blighted properties have been a lingering issue in New Milford for many years. Eyesores that have been neglected are a nuisance to both residential and commercial taxpayers and those who patronize our businesses," Bass said. "My hope is that New Milford can construct something — as other municipalities have done over the last two decades — that allows town government to tackle blight from a multitude of angles. This way we can make the best town in the USA also the most beautiful."