The Lawton City Council reviewed a long list of properties on a special dilapidated-property docket and approved a series of resolutions declaring multiple structures a public nuisance and authorizing abatement, putting some properties on an enforced timeline for repairs.

Staff presentation identified addresses with damaged roofing, siding, broken windows and doors, evidence of vagrant occupation and, in some cases, fire damage. City code enforcement staff recommended no action for properties where owners had completed repairs (for example, 305 Southwest 19th and 925 Southwest 2nd Street), but recommended listing or DND placement for properties with persistent or unresolved hazards.

Several property owners and representatives spoke at public hearings. Chrissy Berry, who said she lives at 702 Southwest Washington Avenue, told the council, “It is my home… I had to put an eviction notice on everyone in my home, including my grandchildren,” and described removing squatters and clearing trash. Staff explained the process if a property is placed on the DND list: owners have 30 business days (about 45 calendar days) to obtain permits and six months after that to bring properties into compliance, with the possibility of extensions for substantial progress.

Other public speakers included Dennis Walker (607 Southwest Summit Avenue), who said he removed the carport and planned to convert the remaining structure to storage; Brandon Hardegree (1417 Northwest 23rd Street), who said he had fixed the secondary structure and submitted photos; and Brian Adcock, who told the council Stride Bank had recently foreclosed on 1116 Northwest Lincoln Avenue and was under contract to manage repairs or demolition.

Council votes were handled by roll call. For properties where staff found progress or recent repairs, the council accepted staff’s recommendation of no action; for others, the council approved resolutions placing structures on the DND list or declaring them dilapidated and authorizing abatement. When an owner demonstrates compliance, staff said the council can remove a property from the list.

The actions are administrative steps to ensure public-safety and quality-of-life code compliance; they set permit timelines and, if owners do not comply, authorize summary abatement or legal action through district court. The special session concluded after the council completed roll-call votes on the listed properties and adjourned.