SULPHUR SPRINGS -- The Sulphur Springs planning commission and city council recently authorized city attorney Bryan S. Vernetti to begin sending out notices to owners of properties the city deems to have "unsightly and unsanitary conditions" harmful to citizens' health and safety, according to council member Larry Burge.
Vernetti mailed letters to the owners of five of the six properties in question on Friday, June 7, according to Burge. The letters explain city code regarding the cleanliness of properties and ask owners to clean up their properties or face fines and penalties, as well as possibly having a lien placed on properties which the city cleans up.
Vernetti's letters give property owners 30 days to make necessary corrections to comply with city code or the city will hire a professional to clean up the properties, Burge said. If necessary, the city could seize properties and sell them to recover money spent on cleanup, Burge said.
According to Burge, the five property owners are the first to be addressed by the city. Other property owners may be targetted within the next few weeks, Burge said.
General News on 06/13/2018