In the wake of several grassroots "problem property potlucks" this fall in which neighbors rose up to protest and highlight dilapidated Lincoln houses, city officials are considering tightening the housing code and tweaking city processes for dealing with them.

Lincolnites at the potlucks railed at owners who don't care for their property, but also the city for being ineffective in the face of repeat offenders. Now the city is considering new tools to deal with problem properties, which were laid out for the City Council on Monday.

After the briefing, one of the organizers of the potlucks said he felt like pinching himself, he was so incredulous that the city is considering major changes in the way it deals with eyesores.

Among the hammers being considered is the creation of a points system -- similar to the driver's license points system -- for housing violations that could result in the loss of an apartment permit. Chris Connolly of the city Law Department is working on a three-strike rule in which a property owner could lose permits on all units for at least a year.

"This is meant to deal with the worst of the worst," said Jon Carlson, the mayor's aide who runs the Stronger, Safer Neighborhoods Initiative.

Councilman Jon Camp is also working on a similar scorecard system.

The city is also looking at moving in and making repairs to dilapidated properties whose owners refuse to repair, then billing the owner, and perhaps speeding up the lien foreclosure process. Liens could also be put on properties with a stack of unpaid fines.

The city may also get tougher on problem properties with delinquent taxes. The city could force foreclosure of the properties.

City Council Chairman Doug Emery is skeptical about whether the City Council is really ready to take hold of some of the tools, but said he's never seen the council more united on the issue of doing something about deteriorated properties.

"We are going to make some constituents angry," he warned. "Do we have the will to do that?"

The issue seems to have bipartisan support on the council, as opposed to past movements.

Representatives of the Real Estate Owners and Managers Association, a property management company representative and a Realtor were among those who served on a task force looking at one of the tools under consideration: updating the city housing code.

Among other ideas being proposed:

• Direct more resources to problem areas and problem owners and back off responsible property owners with no complaints or violations; the inspection cycle would be lengthened for good properties and shortened for bad properties.
• Charge an inspection fee for property owners with repeat violations.
• Create a housing inspection fee, including inspections done on complaints against homes, duplexes and apartments. The fee would be waived on complaints if no action was required of the owner and the defects were repaired on time, and if the owner had had no complaints requiring action within a year.
• Properties with good records would not have to pay the housing inspection fee, but would still pay the annual permit fee.
• Increase the penalties for violating apartment permit ordinances 200 to 700 percent.
• Automatically place vacant homes and apartments on a six-month inspection cycle if a health or building safety complaint requires action.
• Institute penalties for failure to pay fees.
• Adopt the International Property Maintenance Code, as many other cities and states have done. Lincoln's housing code dates to 1994; similar codes were largely discontinued nationally in 2000.
• Among the international code's provisions is a ban on vacant buildings being boarded up for more than six months. Currently, they can be boarded up for up to a year.
• Another provision would not allow paint to deteriorate on more than 25 percent per side of a house; currently the limit is 50 percent.
• Lobby to have a Housing Court, in which one or two judges focus on housing violations.

Emery said if the city really does crack down on lackadaisical landlords and absentee owners, it may inspire others to get in line more quickly.

"There was a reason we used to do public executions," he said.

Reach Deena Winter at 473-2642 or dwinter@journalstar.com.