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Resident urges LaSalle to enforce vacant-building ordinances for decades-empty Kaskaskia building
Summary
Breanne Hicks told the council the Kaskaskia building has been vacant for decades and asked why prior ordinance violations were dismissed and why the city is not pursuing legal remedies under its vacant-building and nuisance ordinances.
Breanne Hicks, a LaSalle resident, used public comment at the Jan. 20 City Council meeting to press the city to enforce existing ordinances for long-vacant properties, citing the Kaskaskia building as an example.
Hicks said the Kaskaskia closed in 2001 and that city records show CARES received four ordinance violations on Feb. 9, 2015, with two issued for the Maytag building and two for the Kaskaskia. "These violations included failure to repair or demolish a building and failure to register a vacant building, all of which were dismissed," she said.
She cited specific municipal code provisions in her remarks. Hicks read language she attributed to the code and asked why the city has not enforced it: "Chapter 154, vacant buildings, section 0.03, describes vacant building as a building that is dangerous in a state of dilapidation, deterioration, or decay. A building which constitutes a fire hazard or is unsafe or insecure to a degree that endangers life, limb, or property with penalties of fines from 60 to 700 and $50 per ordinance violation. Section 150.24, nuisance conditions. The owner shall repair it or commence demolition within 15 days. If the owner fails to comply with an order to repair or demolish, the city attorney is authorized to commence legal action seeking a court order authorizing demolition or repair of the building."
Hicks asked, "So why does the city stand by and allow Carys to violate these ordinations without any enforcement or penalty?" (transcript spelling retained). She urged the council to enforce ordinances already on the books, saying that enforcement would be a good place to start.
Hicks also asked a separate, procedural question about curb cuts: whether cutting a curb is required when creating a driveway/entrance or whether vehicles may simply drive over an existing curb; the council did not provide an answer during public comment.
The council did not take immediate enforcement action during the meeting. Hicks’ remarks pointed to past complaints and dismissed violations; she requested the city follow the enforcement pathways that municipal code appears to provide, including referral to the city attorney where owners do not comply with repair or demolition orders.
The meeting transcript records Hicks’ citation of specific municipal code sections; the text of those ordinances should be confirmed in the municipal code for precise statutory language and penalty amounts.
