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Residents press for faster action on blighted houses; commissioners direct staff to refine enforcement ordinance and adopt case-management software
Summary
At a Jan. 20 workshop residents described long-running dilapidated structures and yard nuisances, urging faster abatement; commissioners directed staff to refine a blighted-structure enforcement draft, strip lawn-mowing provisions for now, explore a public-facing code-management portal and return a revised ordinance for a February public hearing.
Residents of St. George Island, Eastpoint and Carrabelle used a Jan. 20 workshop to press county leaders for more predictable, faster action on long‑standing blighted properties, septic and trash hazards. The Board heard multiple public comments and directed staff to return a revised code‑enforcement ordinance and implementation plan.
Local resident Hugh McGregor told commissioners that a long‑vacant beach house near his home has degraded to the point where he worries it will collapse in a storm: “...the whole roof is caving in,” he said, and urged abatement before a public-safety event. Others including Daylene Segree said neighborhoods suffer from chronic yard trash and dilapidation that discourages reinvestment.
New enforcement staffer Gwendolyn “Sissy” Smith, who said she also works with the state health department on sanitary nuisances, described the county’s current operational limits and asked for a technology platform that would let field officers file photos and cases that are visible to the public and county permitting staff. "We offer a lot of free help," Smith told the Board, describing voluntary engagement and outreach as the primary first step before formal action.
Board direction: Commissioners asked County Attorney Michael Shuler and staff to: - produce a cleaned, enforceable draft blighted-structure ordinance (with mowing provisions removed for now), - identify whether the building official or an engineer should make initial structural/substantial‑improvement determinations and how the magistrate or the circuit court should be used for demolition orders, - evaluate and recommend a public-facing code-management software (staff identified CitizenServe as the preferred vendor and estimated a modest annual cost plus initial setup), and - return a draft for public hearing advertising with enough lead time for a hearing in February.
Why it matters: Residents said slow or unclear processes have left trash, exposed insulation and unsafe empty buildings in place for years; commissioners emphasized the need to balance property rights, due process and efficient remedies that reduce public‑health and safety risks.
What happens next: Staff will return a revised draft ordinance and a procurement recommendation for case-management software; the Board instructed staff to bring the ordinance back with advertising to schedule the public hearing in mid-February.
