The presiding officer of the Bossier City Council declared the property at 3924 Ellis Street a public nuisance and set a two-week deadline for cleanup, suspending immediate city-ordered removal.

The action matters because the property standards office said the site posed rodent and safety hazards and the city can record a lien against the property to recover cleanup costs if the owner does not finish removal.

Chris Ferguson, of the Property Standards office, described the site as a blight case that began May 15, listing “tires, wood, pallets, metal, scrap” and a carport “completely full of things that are a potential rodent hazard.” He told the council that while some progress had been made, the property was not fully cleaned.

Homeowner James Ferguson, who identified himself for the record as living at 3924 Ellis Street, said work has been slow because his daughter has been doing the cleanup and he cannot help due to age and limited income. “I don't have money to have it hauled off. I'm on Social Security. I'm 82 years old,” James Ferguson said.

After hearing those statements, the presiding officer moved to declare the property a public nuisance and suspend enforcement for two weeks so the owner could finish cleanup. “We'll give you 2 weeks to finish it,” the presiding officer said. The council voted in favor; the presiding officer said the city will remove remaining debris after the deadline and “send you a bill for it,” which the city can record as a lien if unpaid.

The council directed the Property Standards office to follow up; staff noted that if the city performs the cleanup the cost will be billed and recorded against the property. Council members asked staff to set a specific final date two weeks out (the clerk identified August 26 during the discussion). The council recorded the motion as carried.