Staff Writer

The Biddeford City Council last week enacted a new citywide ordinance aimed at curbing disorderly behavior that disrupts neighborhoods and generates calls to police.

The City Council on Aug. 16 unanimously passed the disorderly housing ordinance developed by landlords and city officials who say disruptive behavior drives away good tenants. The ordinance, modeled after a similar one in Portland, requires building owners to meet with the police chief if police are called to the building a certain number of times per month.

City Development Coordinator Linda Hardacker said the ordinance is targeted at landlords who refuse to work with tenants and city officials to address problems.

A building will be designated a “disorderly house” after three police visits in 30 days for a building with five or fewer units; four visits to buildings with six to 10 units; and five visits to a building with 11 or more units.

Police calls include, but are not limited to, nuisance behavior such as loud music and parties, fights and public intoxication. Calls for domestic violence calls are excluded because no one wants to discourage people from calling for help, Hardacker said.

Owners of a building that has been visited by police in response to a disturbance two or more times in a 30-day period will by notified it is considered a “hot spot.” Police will notify the owner of the visits as long as the owner is registered with the city as required.

“This ordinance is very fair. It is the next step in revitalizing neighborhoods that are so vital to this city,” Hardacker said.

Trish McAllister, neighborhood prosecutor for Portland, said the disorderly housing ordinance has allowed city officials to successfully work with landlords to stop behavior that has disrupted neighborhoods for years. In one case, police meet with a landlord every two weeks and calls for service have been reduced by 80 percent since January.

“It’s talking to the landlords and asking them to maintain control of their properties that has been effective,” McAllister said.

Councilor David Bourque, who also voted in favor of the ordinance at the Policy Committee level, said he has some concerns about owners of disorderly houses being asked to provide police with a list of tenants’ names.

“Some people take offense to that. I feel that’s a real invasion of privacy,” he said.

McAllister said the tenant list is kept confidential and allows police to give the landlord information about what is going on at the building.

Bourque said he decided to support the ordinance because “we need to start changing some of the actions that happen in our city.”

Both Police Chief Roger Beaupre and Deputy Chief JoAnne Fisk support the ordinance. In a letter to councilors, Beaupre said the ordinance “is directed at the rental properties that have been nothing but a nuisance to everybody else.”

“We have many landlords who are receptive (to this ordinance). They don’t want these people in their buildings,” Fisk said.

Several landlords and tenants described to the council disruptive behavior in their neighborhoods. They said it is common to face retaliation for calling police to complain about vandalism and fighting.

“I see no downside to this at all,” said Bill Powers, owner of a small apartment building.

Councilor George “Pete” Lamontagne made a motion to pass the ordinance as an emergency for the “health and safety” of the community. The council supported his motion and the ordinance went into effect immediately.