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City Council Members: Demo 200 Program has a Place in Aiken

Industry Update
May 2, 2023

Source: Aiken Standard

The suspended Demo 200 program has a place in Aiken according to five members of Aiken City Council.

The city council established the program in 1999. It allows residential property owners to pay the city $200 to have a “dilapidated, uninhabitable structure” demolished and removed from their property and retain the land.

City Manager Stuart Bedenbaugh said in a memorandum to city council that the city has the option to use federal Community Block Development Grant funds provided by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development to demolish the structures if the structures are located in a low- or moderate-income area.

In 2020, city council amended the program to include an option for non-residential property owners to pay $2,000 to have a “substandard” structure demolished and removed.

The section of the city code allowing non-residential property owners to have structures demolished also includes provisions requiring the non-residential property owner to have owned the property for two years and that the cost of the demolition is a loan of up to $20,000 that is forgiven by the city over a four-year period. If the non-residential property owner sells the property before the loan is forgiven, the balance comes due.

The 2020 amendment also allows the city manager to waive the requirements of the non-residential property program for a nonprofit organization that is necessary to provide community services. It also establishes that repeat applicants for the residential demolition program fall under the non-residential property provision.

Bedenbaugh said 20 structures have been demolished under the program since 2019 including nine in 2019, two in 2020, six in 2021, two in 2022 and one in 2023.

He said he suspended the program Feb. 28, 2023 in accordance with a request from council to study the program and discuss its future at later meetings.

Monday evening, five members of city council participated in the first of those meetings: a tour to view structures that could be demolished through the program. The council also heard from code enforcement personnel with the city and spoke to the neighbors of the properties with a structure that could be demolished under the program.

For full report, please click the source link above.

CEO

Alan Jaffa

Alan Jaffa is the Chief Executive Officer for Safeguard Properties, steering the company as the mortgage field services industry leader. He also serves on the board of advisors for SCG Partners, a middle-market private equity fund focused on diversifying and expanding Safeguard Properties’ business model into complimentary markets.

Alan joined Safeguard in 1995, learning the business from the ground up. He was promoted to Chief Operating Officer in 2002, and was named CEO in May 2010. His hands-on experience has given him unique insights as a leader to innovate, improve and strengthen Safeguard’s processes to assure that the company adheres to the highest standards of quality and customer service.

Under Alan’s leadership, Safeguard has grown significantly with strategies that have included new and expanded services, technology investments that deliver higher quality and greater efficiency to clients, and strategic acquisitions. He takes a team approach to process improvement, involving staff at all levels of the organization to address issues, brainstorm solutions, and identify new and better ways to serve clients.

In 2008, Alan was recognized by Crain’s Cleveland Business in its annual “40-Under-40” profile of young leaders. He also was named a NEO Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® Award finalist in 2013.

Esq., General Counsel and EVP

Linda Erkkila

Linda Erkkila is the General Counsel and Executive Vice President for Safeguard Properties, with oversight of legal, human resources, training, and compliance. Linda’s broad scope of oversight covers regulatory issues that impact Safeguard’s operations, risk mitigation, strategic planning, human resources and training initiatives, compliance, insurance, litigation and claims management, and counsel related to mergers, acquisition and joint ventures.

Linda assures that Safeguard’s strategic initiatives align with its resources, leverage opportunities across the company, and contemplate compliance mandates. She has practiced law for 25 years and her experience, both as outside and in-house counsel, covers a wide range of corporate matters, including regulatory disclosure, corporate governance compliance, risk assessment, compensation and benefits, litigation management, and mergers and acquisitions.

Linda earned her JD at Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. She holds a degree in economics from Miami University and an MBA. Linda was previously named as both a “Woman of Influence” by HousingWire and as a “Leading Lady” by MReport.

COO

Michael Greenbaum

Michael Greenbaum is the Chief Operating Officer of Safeguard Properties, where he has played a pivotal role since joining the company in July 2010. Initially brought on as Vice President of REO, Mike’s exceptional leadership and strategic vision quickly propelled him to Vice President of Operations in 2013, and ultimately to COO in 2015. Over his 14-year tenure at Safeguard, Mike has been instrumental in driving change and fostering innovation within the Property Preservation sector, consistently delivering excellence and becoming a trusted partner to clients and investors.

A distinguished graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, Mike earned a degree in Quantitative Economics. Following his graduation, he served in the U.S. Army’s Ordnance Branch, where he specialized in supply chain management. Before his tenure at Safeguard, Mike honed his expertise by managing global supply chains for 13 years, leveraging his military and civilian experience to lead with precision and efficacy.

CFO

Joe Iafigliola

Joe Iafigliola is the Chief Financial Officer for Safeguard Properties. Joe is responsible for the Control, Quality Assurance, Business Development, Marketing, Accounting, and Information Security departments. At the core of his responsibilities is the drive to ensure that Safeguard’s focus remains rooted in Customer Service = Resolution. Through his executive leadership role, he actively supports SGPNOW.com, an on-demand service geared towards real estate and property management professionals as well as individual home owners in need of inspection and property preservation services. Joe is also an integral force behind Compliance Connections, a branch of Safeguard Properties that allows code enforcement professionals to report violations at properties that can then be addressed by the Safeguard vendor network. Compliance Connections also researches and shares vacant property ordinance information with Safeguard clients.

Joe has an MBA from The Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University, is a Certified Management Accountant (CMA), and holds a bachelor’s degree from The Ohio State University’s Honors Accounting program.

Business Development

Carrie Tackett

Business Development Safeguard Properties