Commissioners order owner of 5398 East Main Street to show remediation plan; set May 5 follow-up

Dubois County health and building officials told commissioners on April 21 that a commercial property at 5398 East Main Street has deteriorated since the county’s initial complaint and a 2019 inspection. The addition’s roof and masonry have collapsed in places; wind and storms have dislodged materials into the adjacent roadway and right-of-way.

Why it matters: The structure’s condition presents possible hazards to traffic and pedestrians and creates a potential county liability if debris in the right-of-way causes damage or injury. The board ordered concrete steps: the owner must present a credible remediation plan or face county-ordered remediation with costs assessed to the property.

What happened in the meeting Health department staff (Environmental Health Specialist Christina Greenie and other staff) described their inspections and communications with the property owner. They reported the owner was given time beginning in October and again with a follow-up in April; weather and winter conditions delayed some work, but the building’s condition has worsened, including partial collapse and masonry falling into the street after recent storms.

Owner response Property owner (named in the transcript as Mr. Slaton) told the board he has sought contractor bids and had one bid that was outside his budget, and that two parties had expressed interest in purchasing the property. Slaton said he bought a small backhoe to begin removal work but that the machine and his resources were not sufficient to complete the project safely.

Commissioner action and timeline Commissioners directed the property owner to produce either: (a) a signed purchase agreement indicating an imminent sale to a buyer who will remediate the property; or (b) a signed contract with a licensed contractor that commits to demolition/remediation and a schedule to complete the work. The board ordered that debris and materials currently in the county right-of-way be removed immediately. Commissioners scheduled a status follow-up on May 5 and told staff they will authorize county remediation and lien procedures if the owner does not present a credible plan by that date.

Quotations "We gave him pretty much 30 days to see if he could do some work to it... the building at this point is in worse shape than it was when we received the first complaint." — Christina Greenie, Environmental Health Specialist "I have reached out to 3 contractors... I have 2 other options. There were 2 people that had contacted [staff] that would be interested in purchasing the property." — Mr. Slaton, property owner

Ending: The board set a clear follow-up date (May 5) and gave the owner a final opportunity to show a purchase agreement or contractor commitment. Health and highway staff will monitor compliance and proceed with county remediation and assessment of costs if necessary.