Residents of 103 7th Street say theyre working with staff after council authorized demolition

Jackie Jones and other tenants of 103 7th Street asked the Prattville City Council on Nov. 18 for more time to comply with orders to repair or remove a dilapidated residence and related structures.

Jones told the council she and her group met with Planning and Code Enforcement, submitted the required application for a dilapidated-structure permit and have begun work to address the property. "Wehave started doing things," Jones said, asking the council to allow additional time while they complete the work.

The city attorney, Andrew Odom, told the council that Alabama law governs the dilapidation process and that a dilapidated-structure permit, once issued to an owner, is valid for six months. He said the permit places responsibility with the owner and pauses further city demolition actions while the owner pursues repairs or a permitted plan. Odom confirmed the tenants for 103 7th Street had met with staff and were in the process of completing the permit application.

The exchange drew attention from several council members who said they had voted previously on a demolition resolution based on the packet materials available at that time. Councilor Langley and others said they had not known of more recent contacts between the propertyowneror the contractor and city staff; the mayor and staff said correspondence through March was in the packet but that contractor contacts after March were not reflected in the previously circulated backup and were later added to the file.

To address the omission, the council passed a clarification resolution authorizing removal of an accessory structure at 103 7th Street and awarding a contract to remove unsafe structures. City staff said the inclusion of an accessory structure in the earlier notice had been omitted from the language of the prior resolution but that required legal notices had identified both the residential and accessory structures as dilapidated.

Council members said they would work with planning and code enforcement to improve communication and asked staff to consider a town-hall or explanatory materials so residents better understand the code-enforcement and demolition timeline. The city attorney and mayor also pointed to a six-month permit renewal process and said owners may obtain additional time by pursuing permitted repair plans.

What happens next: council and staff said they will monitor the permit process for 103 7th Street; if owners complete the permit and make progress, city demolition action will not proceed. If the owners do not follow the permit process, the city may resume enforcement steps consistent with state code and city ordinance.