Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Code Enforcement topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Resident presses council on unaddressed property at 512 South Church; mayor outlines follow-up
Summary
A neighbor raised an abandoned-property complaint about 512 South Church, citing a state statute and a demand letter; the mayor said staff has spoken with the property owner, volunteers and vocational students may help with cleanup, and the city will monitor progress ahead of the next meeting.
A Princeton resident told the City Council that a property at 512 South Church remains in poor condition despite a demand letter and a cited Illinois statute requiring remediation, and asked whether the city had taken further action.
The resident read from a demand letter in the municipal file, quoting the letter—s reference to a state statute and the 07/26/2025 compliance date: "State of Illinois statute fiveeleven-thirty one-one requires you to repair your property to a safe condition within 15 days. ... You have until 07/26/2025 to correct the conditions on your property." The resident said conditions were worse than a month earlier and that the property had been in violation for 40 days past the deadline.
Mayor Mabry responded that she had met with the homeowner twice, that the homeowner is elderly and recently hospitalized, and that a contractor originally expected to help had been injured. The mayor said the owner was working to secure a contractor and that the city is offering limited help by coordinating volunteers: "If that doesn't work, ... I'll send [vocational students] over there with my — I'll be mentoring them and we'll start working on cleaning that." The mayor said she will continue follow-up and provide an update at the next council meeting.
The council did not record any additional formal enforcement action at this meeting; the mayor said staff will remain in contact with the property owner and monitor progress. The resident asked that the city clarify whether further legal steps, including court action referenced in the demand letter, would be pursued if remediation does not occur.
