Ordinance 3368, adopted on Feb. 4, enacted a vacant and abandoned structure registration for the central business district, historic districts and historic landmarks in the Hub City. For the downtown central business district and vacant historic landmarks, the effective date is April 1.
North Main historic district’s effective date is July 1, 2025; Hattiesburg Historic Neighborhood’s effective date is Oct. 1, 2025 and all other historic districts’ is Jan. 1, 2026.
The city’s primary motivations for enacting the registry stem from several factors including the attracting of criminal activity, vandalism, drug use, encouraging vagrant traffic, negative perception of areas/neighborhoods, hinderance of development and poor maintenance leading to safety hazards and unsanitary conditions.
Upon being given notice, property owners will have 45 days to register their properties with the address, parcel number and/or legal description of the property, the name, physical address, mailing address, telephone number and email address of the owner of the property, contact information of a local manager of the property, proof of liability insurance, a completed comprehensive plan of action and a complete floor plan.
A property manager or agent must also be designated for the property. Managers or agents must have their contact information submitted as part of the registration process and have their name and phone number posted at the front of the building in case of emergency, with the exception of single-family residential structures.
The ordinance also clearly sets the standard of care for such structures. All exterior surfaces including doors and windows shall be maintained as outlined in the Internal Property Maintenance Code, premises are to be kept weather tight and able to prevent entry of rodents and other pests, address numbers must be posted so as to be seen clearly from the road and exterior walls must be maintained and/or treated and free of holes, breaks and rotting materials.
Failure to adhere to the new ordinance is a misdemeanor which carries a fine of up to $1,000.
