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Resident presses council for action on condemned 23 Couch Street; council seeks update from mayor's office
Summary
A resident said a condemned house at 23 Couch Street remains a public-safety nuisance; the council amended a motion to request an update from the mayor's office on steps taken and ongoing enforcement, and the council voted to request that update.
During public input on April 8, resident Brian Ratcliffe urged the municipal council to act on a condemned property at 23 Couch Street that he said the fire, health and building departments had declared uninhabitable. Ratcliffe said utilities have been shut off and he described the property as a neighborhood hazard that has attracted wildlife, trespassers and fires.
"The fire department has stated in a letter that if the house catches on fire, it will not let the fire department go into the property," Ratcliffe told the council. He said the property "has been condemned by the board of health" and that he had not seen progress toward demolition or formal remediation.
Councilors discussed prior referrals and task-force work addressing blighted properties. Councilor McCall said he wanted the building department to take action and moved to have the council seek action; other councilors suggested first getting an update from the mayor’s office because the mayor’s staff had indicated they were working on the matter.
Councilor Borges amended the request to make it a motion for a status update from the mayor’s office concerning 23 Couch Street; the motion was seconded and passed by voice vote. Several councilors noted the legal steps required to pursue demolition and liens and said the mayor and law department are coordinating enforcement efforts. The council did not order demolition at the meeting; it requested a report and update from the mayor’s office on the current status and planned next steps.
