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Resident criticizes slow blight enforcement; mayor and staff respond with process details
Summary
A resident told the council dozens of condemned properties remain standing and criticized notice and filing practices. City officials and the mayor responded that the city is pursuing funding, has appointed a hearing officer, and will hold follow-up meetings to improve tracking and processes.
A Crowley resident urged faster action on dangerous and blighted properties during the Public Safety segment, saying many condemned structures remain standing and that legal notices associated with prior condemnations were not properly filed at the courthouse.
Resident Theresa Richard told the council the city condemned 16 properties in November 2023 but that "all but 2 of those structures are still standing," and she said the city's process was not producing results. Richard also said she was told the city attorney had billed more than $10,000 for work on condemnations and that many properties were not correctly noticed for hearings.
Mayor Chad Monso and city staff responded in the meeting. The city attorney clarified that failure to record an order in the courthouse does not necessarily invalidate a condemnation order if ownership has not changed, but acknowledged recordation is important to preserve rights if property ownership is transferred. City officials said the city had pursued a federal or state grant to fund demolitions; that effort required a specific number of properties to be ready for demolition and that late rule changes hindered the grant application process.
The mayor said the city had since appointed a blight/hearing officer and begun hearings; he invited the resident to meet with staff and review files in the mayor's office. City staff said they scheduled a meeting of relevant staff to clarify roles in the administrative hearing/blight process and to improve filing and tracking. The mayor and legal staff said the city would continue enforcement work and coordinate next steps, including preparing any new notices and courthouse filings required to move condemned properties toward remediation or demolition.
The resident pressed for a more rapid pace of action and clearer public notice of hearing dockets; the mayor said the hearings are public and occur on a recurring schedule and offered to walk through records with the resident to increase transparency.
