Owners of some of the many vacant, deteriorating structures in the Ohio Valley have simply given up on them. Others lack the resources to rehabilitate the buildings. Steubenville Councilman Scott Dressel is right that local government ought to try to help.

This week, Steubenville City Council members discussed a municipal ordinance requiring that owners of vacant buildings register them with city government and pay a fee. Initially, it is $200 for residential properties and $400 for commercial structures. The longer buildings are vacant, the higher the fees go, to maximums of $400 for residential structures and $700 for commercial properties.

Council members agreed to retain the ordinance, but Dressel, who represents the Fourth Ward, had a suggestion. Helping owners find buyers or renters of their buildings would solve the problem, he suggested. Perhaps the city should provide owners of vacant structures with lists of resources that could help them, he explained.

That is an excellent idea, particularly given the fact that some of the houses and commercial buildings in question do not require much work to be usable again.

Some property owners simply cannot be helped, of course. But if Dressel’s idea can assist even a few — perhaps just encourage them to try again in efforts to find renters or buyers — it would be worth the effort.

Steubenville officials, with help from both non-profit organizations and businesses that may be able to assist, should give Dressel’s recommendation a try.

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