Marshall County committee declares Haney property an emergency; inspector authorized to seek demolition bids

At a meeting of the Marshall County Unsafe Building Committee, members voted to declare the property at 17672 Main Street in Polk Township — hearing case 24UB07, listed to Robert and Genova Haney — an emergency and authorized the building inspector to solicit demolition quotes and, if necessary, proceed under an emergency order.

Committee members said the home's foundation has collapsed on three sides and the property owner has not responded to mailed notices, which were returned as undeliverable. "I recommend that the building be demolished due to structural instability caused by the collapsing foundation," Chuck Norman of the building department said, citing inspection photographs and a foundation that he said is "in pretty bad shape." The committee noted an enforcement order dated Oct. 3, 2024, was also returned undeliverable.

The action followed a presentation of inspection dates and service attempts. The building department reported the initial report was made July 22, 2024, and the inspector visited the property on Aug. 22, 2024. Committee members confirmed the property taxes were not paid and discussed how demolition costs would be handled if the work were performed and the county later recorded a lien.

"That's right. Yes. So we go through the steps to be able to put it out for bid for demolition and then any of those fees can be put on as a lien to the property," attorney Sean Cerisi said when asked about recovering costs and how a tax sale would affect a future purchaser.

Committee members debated whether to follow the regular bid process or use the emergency-action procedure that allows the county to hire a contractor directly. "Under the emergency action statute ... we could hire somebody directly and go do it," Cerisi said, while others noted the bid process might not be substantially slower. County Commissioner Stan Klotz moved to declare the property an emergency and asked the building inspector to contact contractors for quotes and proceed as appropriate; Dennis Manuel seconded the motion. The committee voted in favor; members instructed the building inspector to send the committee email updates and to have the action ratified at the next meeting.

Cost estimates discussed at the meeting varied. Chuck Norman estimated the job could be "probably between 5 and 9" thousand dollars if county staff and equipment could be used for work under $25,000, though other demolition permits recently processed were described as running $12,000–$16,000 or as high as $15,000–$20,000 depending on trucking and landfill fees. Committee members noted the county's new budget includes $75,000 for work of this type.

The committee also reviewed progress on other properties: the former Boatswimmer property is being cleaned; a property owned by a Mr. Arroyo has been demolished and the foundation secured pending future rebuilding; and another owner (identified in the record as Mr. Burnt/Burnt) is continuing roof repairs. The building inspector said some properties remain under observation and that demolition or repair timelines can shift with weather.

The committee's direction was procedural: declare the Haney property an emergency, authorize the building inspector to contact demolition contractors and obtain quotes, permit the inspector to proceed under emergency authority if warranted, and ratify any expenditure or contract at the next public meeting. Committee members and counsel flagged that, after work is done, the county may need to publish a follow-up public hearing to confirm that incurred costs were reasonable before finalizing lien procedures.

Votes at a glance - Elect Jim Masterson as president — motion moved by Stan Klotz; seconded; approved. - Elect Keith Frang as vice president — motion moved/seconded; approved. - Elect Dennis Manuel as secretary — motion moved/seconded; approved. - Appoint Sean Cerisi as attorney — motion moved/seconded; approved. - Approve 2025 meeting schedule (Jan. 23, March 27, May 22, July 24, Sept. 25, Nov. 20 at 9 a.m.) — motion moved/seconded; approved. - Approve minutes of Sept. 26, 2024 meeting — motion moved/seconded; approved (one abstention recorded). - Declare hearing case 24UB07 (Haney, 17672 Main St., Polk Township) an emergency; instruct building inspector to solicit quotes and proceed as appropriate under emergency authority; county to place any incurred fees as a lien on the property and ratify actions at the next meeting — motion moved by Stan Klotz; seconded by Dennis Manuel; approved.

The committee did not provide a numerical roll-call tally in the public record; votes were taken by voice ("aye").