Alexander City Council on July 7 approved a resolution to set a public hearing on fiscal-year 2025 condemnation of various properties and discussed how the city will handle dilapidated structures.

Council discussion acknowledged many structures are in poor condition and need to be removed. One council member said they opposed placing liens on properties because owners often cannot pay and liens rarely result in recovery: "I don't like to put names on the property... I don't have an issue with tearing down the properties, but I still disagree with putting liens on property because 9 times out of 10, we're not gonna get that money back," the council member said.

City staff explained condemnation is a step taken only after other options have been exhausted, including attempts to locate owners and get permission to address dilapidation. Staff said many properties on the list did not respond to outreach and that it can be difficult to identify legal owners. The hearing the council approved is a procedural step in that process.

Staff described plans to do more in-house work with the fire, sewer and water departments to reduce contractor costs. The city aims to lower demolition expenses substantially by using city crews for tasks such as clearing ash and debris rather than hiring outside contractors; staff estimated that in-house work could reduce costs from tens of thousands of dollars per property to a few thousand dollars, depending on the parcel.

Council members said the condemnation resolution is the next step in a process that includes outreach to owners and multiple attempts to resolve dilapidation without condemnation. The motion to set the public hearing passed; staff will proceed with the hearing process and continue coordinating among departments to manage costs and prioritize structures.

The council emphasized the goal of protecting neighborhoods by removing unsafe structures while trying to limit the financial burdens on property owners when possible.