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Stoneville council approves demolition order for unsafe house, authorizes property cleanup; clarifies demolition rules
Summary
Stoneville council approved an ordinance allowing the town to demolish an unsafe structure at 104 West Matthew Street after owners failed to repair it; the council also authorized cleanup at 300 Lee Street (Spencer's Environmental bid $850). Code enforcement discussed the town's 50% repair‑cost threshold for demolition and recommended daily civil penalties for prolonged noncompliance.
Stoneville council moved forward on code enforcement actions across several nuisance and housing cases in early January. Eric Clem, the state code enforcement officer assigned to the town, briefed the council on the next enforcement step for 104 West Matthew Street: owners had been served and given 90 days to repair or demolish the structure after an earlier hearing but failed to act. Clem said a planned idea to use the community college for a controlled burn did not proceed because of safety and asbestos concerns. Councilman Shelton moved to approve an ordinance directing removal and demolition of the structure; the motion passed unanimously.
Clem also described the nuisance condition at 300 Lee Street. After contacting contractors he obtained two responses; Spencer's Environmental inspected the property and offered an $850 bid to clear debris and clutter. The council voted to proceed with that cleanup and to place the cost on the property if necessary.
Clem reviewed the town’s demolition threshold: staff generally considers demolition when repair costs exceed 50% of the property value (a benchmark that tracks state guidance). For higher‑value properties that don’t meet the demolition threshold, he recommended civil penalties (for example, $100/day) to encourage corrective action. Council asked staff to return with additional cost estimates and address‑corrections for the record (e.g., 112 Jerry/225 Jerry), and also discussed towing contracts to address junk vehicles.
What’s next: Town staff will issue demolition notices, secure bids for ordered work, and return to council if additional budget authority or ordinance steps are required.
