Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Unsafe Building 115 Champion topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Franklin schedules Nov. 19 review after owner, staff outline next steps for 115 Champion unsafe-building case
Summary
At a Sept. 17 unsafe-building hearing, City of Franklin staff said they will open a request-for-quotes process Oct. 24 and present a contract to the Board of Public Works Nov. 1; the hearing was continued to Nov. 19 at 2 p.m. Owner said he was unable to secure bank financing and is attempting to sell the property.
FRANKLIN, Ind. — Hearing Officer Mark Lloyd on Sept. 17 continued the unsafe-building review for the property at 115 Champion to Nov. 19 at 2:00 p.m., after city staff described a timeline that could lead to contractor selection and a Board of Public Works review in early November and the owner said he has been unable to secure financing.
City senior planner Alex Kjetrell told the hearing that staff has been finalizing request-for-proposals/request-for-quotes documents and preparing a potential demolition contract. "We have been working on, and have been finalizing our request for proposals documents or request for quotes documents and our potential contract, moving forward," Kjetrell said. He said staff had emailed the property owner a list of about five contractors with contact information to solicit quotes.
The timeline presented by city staff calls for opening the request-for-quotes on Oct. 24, compiling a contract after quotes are received, and taking the matter before the Board of Public Works on Nov. 1. "We were envisioning... setting the opening for the request for quotes to be on October 24," Stanley, a city staff member, said. Staff also said they will record the order, contact a title company to run a title search and complete required notifications before proceeding.
Property owner Bridal Barger, who spoke at the hearing, said he had tried to secure financing but had been turned down. "I got ahold of the bank and they they wouldn't loan me money," Barger said, and added he was trying to sell the property.
Hearing Officer Mark Lloyd said he preferred a low-cost, cooperative path for resolving the matter and that fines were being held "under advisement." "As long as you're cooperating, I see no reason for me to impose any," Lloyd said. Lloyd asked that Barger stay in contact with city officials and be available for the next review.
City staff advised Barger that the Indiana unsafe-building law includes requirements tied to a sale of an unsafe property, including disclosure and notification obligations, and that the city must be notified if a contract for sale is signed so the city can identify interested parties and include them in required notifications. Kjetrell said those disclosure and notification steps "would need to be included" if the property is sold while the demolition process is pending.
The hearing was recessed and continued to Nov. 19 at 2:00 p.m.; staff requested that the owner attend in case an on-site inquiry is needed. No formal vote or demolition contract was approved at the Sept. 17 hearing.
Background: The hearing began Sept. 17 as part of the City of Franklin's unsafe-building review process; staff said the immediate next steps are administrative (order recording, title search, notifications) followed by the contractor solicitation timeline described above.
