Columbia City Council passes vacant building ordinance.

The Columbia City Council passed an ordinance at its meeting Tuesday that establishes a registry of vacant buildings.

Under the ordinance, effective immediately, all buildings must be registered with the city's code enforcement division within 120 days of becoming vacant. The registration is valid for one year and must be renewed annually if the building remains vacant.

The original version of the ordinance required registration within 10 days of vacancy.

Upon registration, owners are required to submit a repair or rehabilitation plan to make the building ready for occupancy and provide consent allowing city officials to enter and inspect the property.

Fees take effect after the first year of registration. Upon the first renewal, property owners must pay $100 for nonresidential structures. For a residential structure, the annual renewal fee is $50.

The second annual renewal fee for nonresidential structures is $500, with the fee increasing to $1,000 for the third annual renewal and annual renewals thereafter.

For residential buildings, the fee for the second annual renewal is $250 and increases to $500 for the third annual renewal and every renewal...