Code Enforcement Board cleans up

Requests owners of rundown properties take care of them

By LISA SIMPSON STRANGE

GLASGOW — Owners of abandoned and dilapidated property in Glasgow need to start cleaning up their act, according to members of the city’s Code Enforcement Board.

Chairperson Anne Grant Underwood has been on the board since its creation by the city council in May of 2005. She said it took the board about a year to get up and running, but they are now intensifying their efforts to get property owners to clean up and repair or tear down hazardous, unsightly buildings.

“We are moving full speed ahead trying to clean up things that have been let go before,” Underwood said. “We’re proud of our city and want it to be attractive and beautiful and attract industry. Buildings in disrepair that need major work must be brought up to code.”

Code Enforcement Officer Larry Baldock is first in line when it comes to dealing with rundown buildings in the city. He is responsible for monitoring the efforts of property owners to clean up and repair structures once a problem has been brought to his attention, but it can be a long, slow process.

“We can’t just go and tear it down,” he said. “We’ve got to go through paperwork and different things and that takes time.”

Baldock has been the codes officer since 1999. He has a binder full of yellow-highlighted buildings that have been demolished during his tenure. He said in 2008 there have been five tear downs, with one still pending, and 15 cleanups that the city has completed. He said that is about average for any given year. Baldock said he tries to give priority to the worst cases.

He said neglected property is usually vacant houses owned by people who do not live locally. He said the cause is not usually financial and more often than not the owners are not very cooperative when it comes to complying with clean-up notices.

“Most have the means. Many live away and they don’t do anything with it,” he said. “They’re not here looking at it.”

Normal procedure, once Baldock is made aware of a problem with a building, is to send a letter to the owners and inform them what must be done to correct the disrepair and give them a time frame for completion. If nothing is done, he will send a second letter and then issue a citation if there is still no response.

The property owner has the right to go before the Code Enforcement Board to contest and appeal the citation. If the owner does not win his or her case or does not communicate with Baldock or the board, the city can clean up or tear down the building in question.

Rondal Buford is board secretary and serving his second year. He thinks members are being more proactive in taking care of these buildings.

“We want to try to be more forceful in what we’re doing,” he said. “We want to try to tighten it up, to take action on it, not just talk about it. I think we’re making progress on what we’re doing. It can’t be overnight, but we’re getting there.”

There are several properties in the historic district of the city that are currently under review. Baldock said the owners are working with him and the city to try to resolve the issues.

“They’re meeting with us,” he said. “They’re going before the mayor and the city attorney and me and they’re working something out on that. They’ve done some work – putting up paper in the windows to keep people from seeing in and taking the signs down and boxing in some windows, but there is still quite a bit of work to be done.”

Baldock said owners need to be more aware of the buildings that are unsightly and take care of them. He said taxes would even go down if they were.

Underwood wants citizens to understand the board doesn’t have a “gotcha” mentality.

“We don’t go out and look for this,” she said. “First, the code enforcement officer is called when something is not taken care of on a regular basis. We’re sort of a last resort.”

She said the board is trying to do what’s best for the community.

“Our job is to make sure people are safe and to require them to follow the codes,” Underwood said.

Other board members include Dewayne Decker, Nancy Poynter and Richard Benningfield. They meet every other month. The next meeting is Jan. 12 at 10 a.m. in the city council chamber.

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