Condemnation planned

GENTRY — Three properties within the city are set for condemnation procedures by the city council. Dilapidated structures located on these properties could be demolished and removed by the city at the property owner’s expense.

According to a report presented by city building inspector David McNair to the Building and Property Code Enforcement Committee, property owners of three properties - 304 N. Otis; 180 N. Robin Rd.; and 651 N. Robin Rd. - have been notified and given six months to either correct or remove building code violations on their properties and have not complied by either repairing or demolishing and removing the dangerous structures. According to Mc-Nair, the property owners had told him they were going to have the buildings demolished by now, but thework is not done.

These properties can be put on a “fast track” to condemnation, Mayor Wes Hogue said at Thursday’s meeting. Since the property owners have been notified of the violations and have been given six months to correct problems, the property owners can be notified of a hearing before the city council and have opportunity to address the council. The council can then condemn the properties. Property owners would be given seven days to correct the violations, Hogue said. Then the city can take whatever steps necessary to correct the problem. The cost for the corrective action would be attached to the property with a lien.

Council member Janie Parks initially argued that proper procedure had not been followed in regard to the properties because the council did not vote on the violations when McNair first brought them to the council. She suggested property owners may need to be given an additional six months after the council votes to condemn.

“We haven’t gone through the procedure,” Parks said. “The six months starts after the council vote.”

The decision on whether to proceed with condemnation or to table it and give the property owner more time will remain in the council’s hands, Hogue explained. The council will not be required condemn properties immediately but can give the property owners needed time to resolve issues if it chooses to do so.

The properties could be brought to the council for action as soon as its April 5 meeting, provided enough time is available for notification of the hearing according to state law, Hogue said. He suggested the notification procedure may require the hearing to be postponed until the council’s May meeting.

Discussion was held regarding how future cases are handled, with the suggestion that the council vote be taken at the beginning of the six-month period so that the city can remove unsafe structures as soon as the time period elapses.