[HISTORY: Adopted by the Borough Council of the Borough of Freedom 2-8-2006 by Ord. No. 541. Amendments noted where applicable.]
The Freedom Borough Council recognizes that:
A. 
The Beaver Initiative for Growth has coordinated a countywide program for residential revitalization and the reduction of residential blight. This program will include several communities throughout Beaver County working cooperatively to develop and share best practices for blight reduction.
B. 
The problem of residential blight is of serious concern in Freedom Borough and the amelioration of blighted properties will make its neighborhoods more attractive, safer and a more valuable place to live and invest.
C. 
This activity requires centralized coordination and project management.
The Freedom Borough Council adopts the countywide Residential Revitalization Program and enacts the following as the key components of the program:
A. 
A Residential Revitalization Program Manager will be provided by the countywide program team in order to properly coordinate this activity.
B. 
Freedom Borough will appoint a primary liaison to the countywide effort who will report to the Chairman of the Blight Reduction Committee and coordinate with the Program Manager.
C. 
A revitalization action plan (RAP) will be created in cooperation with the countywide program group that identifies and prioritizes blighted and abandoned properties, and suggests possible actions to address blight.
D. 
A strategic process of acquisition of properties so that they can be rehabilitated and returned to the tax rolls. This will be done in partnership with other program partners and is a key goal of the program. Several methods are contemplated as possible courses of action, including: donation, private market sales, tax sales, foreclosure sheriff sales and spot condemnation as described in the Urban Redevelopment Law.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: See 35 P.S. § 1701 et seq.
E. 
A review of municipal ordinances addressing the issues of nuisance properties will be completed, comparing the ordinances of Freedom Borough to suggested best practices, and a set of recommendations will be presented.
F. 
Specific program strategies as devised by the countywide program team shall be available for use by Freedom Borough, including but not limited to establishing a land bank program, establishing a side yard buying program for adjoining homeowners, establishing a community green space program and centralized marketing and outreach to well qualified developers.
G. 
A partnership with Community Revitalization of Beaver County, a nonprofit organization, will be established to lead and coordinate this program, as well as act as a nonprofit housing developer and resources broker for homeowners.
The Freedom Borough Council recognizes that a variety of blight reduction strategies will be employed, including the acquisition of some properties. For the properties that will be acquired, several acquisition methods exist, including negotiated sale, donation, lien foreclosure and acquisition through eminent domain using the spot condemnation process in the Urban Redevelopment Law. In order to use this tool, a Blight Review Committee (BRC) is hereby enacted pursuant to the Urban Redevelopment Law. For the purposes of this program, the BRC is established as follows.
A. 
The membership of the BRC will be made up of the following:
(1) 
A representative appointed to the CEO of the municipality of Freedom Borough.
(2) 
A member of Council of Freedom Borough.
(3) 
A representative appointed by the Planning Commission of Freedom Borough.
(4) 
A representative appointed by the Beaver County Planning Commission.
(5) 
A representative appointed by the Beaver County Housing Authority.
(6) 
A representative appointed by the Redevelopment Authority of Beaver County.
(7) 
A representative appointed by the Community Revitalization of Beaver County.
B. 
A quorum of four will be required for a BRC meeting and all votes will be of a majority present for that meeting.