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Hopkinsville code board dismisses several citations, approves default orders and authorizes towing of three vehicles
Summary
At its Sept. 9 meeting, the Hopkinsville Code Ordinance Enforcement Board dismissed several misissued or resolved citations, approved default final orders for multiple properties, and authorized towing of three abandoned/junk vehicles from a vacant lot on Russellville Road near Western State Hospital.
The City of Hopkinsville Code Ordinance Enforcement Board on Sept. 9 dismissed multiple citations, approved default final orders for several properties and authorized towing of three abandoned/junk vehicles from a vacant lot on Russellville Road.
Under agenda item 8(a), code officers Jeffrey Watkins and Darnell West told the board that a citation issued to Michael and Tiffany Bridal had the wrong address and would be dismissed, that a citation to Williams Manns should be dismissed because he was on active military deployment when the citation was issued, that a citation to Wendell Jones should be dismissed because the citation was not issued, and that Michael J. Ladd’s citation should be dismissed because Ladd had requested and been granted additional time and cured the violation.
A board member moved to dismiss the items under 8(a); the motion was seconded and carried.
The board then considered default final orders for items 8(b) through 8(m). Code enforcement testimony described the standard process used: a notice of violation was issued, the owner was given 10 days to cure or request additional time, and if neither occurred a second inspection and subsequent citation were issued. The board voted to approve the default final orders and associated fines and the $100 administrative fee tied to those defaults.
Finally, the board considered authorization to tow three vehicles listed in default final orders. The vehicles sit on a vacant lot across from Western State Hospital along Russellville Road. West said the first inspection of those vehicles was Jan. 23, follow-up inspection occurred in February and again in June; officers issued citations and an abatement letter after seeing no corrective action. West recounted speaking to a man who said he was leasing the lot from the owners; the man told officers he would address the vehicles but no work had been done. West said the vehicles have expired tags, overgrowth and trailers and other junk on the lot. A board member moved to authorize towing; the motion was seconded and carried.
Board Chairman Rodney Davis presided. Code enforcement officers Jeffrey Watkins and Darnell West presented the cases and answered members’ questions about inspection timelines and location. The board approved the default final orders and towing authorization by voice vote; no recorded roll-call votes were taken on these items in the public audio.
Next steps: the board’s written default final orders will reflect the individual fines and the $100 administrative fee for defaults; towing will proceed per the city’s abatement procedures for abandoned vehicles.
