Pawnee City council finds 1145 G Street a public nuisance, authorizes cleanup

Pawnee City — The Pawnee City Council voted unanimously Aug. 27, 2025, to declare the vacant property at 1145 G Street a violation of municipal code and to proceed with cleanup and potential demolition, officials said.

Janice Percival Lewis, the property owner, opened the special show-cause hearing by asking for two more months to arrange a private demolition, saying the house was her childhood home and that she needed time after recent personal losses. “Alls I want is til the end of October and it will be gone,” Lewis told the council. She later left the meeting after an emotional exchange and a warning about her right to present evidence.

City Attorney Jennifer Stehlik-Ladman and City Clerk Tamela S. Curtis presented the record the council cited in its action: utility shutoffs (water deactivated March 31, 2022; gas retired Aug. 2022), a Health Board finding that the property was uninhabitable, prior warning and abatement letters dating back to 2022, a demolition permit application filed in April 2024 with an asbestos inspection report received Oct. 5, 2024, and a City utility lien of $560.97. Stehlik-Ladman said the asbestos inspection by DB Environment noted asbestos in the kitchen floor tile.

“Those exhibits are part of the record that you can rely on to find whether the property is in violation,” City Attorney Jennifer Stehlik-Ladman told council members while describing options for proceeding, including continuing the hearing or moving forward with abatement and filing a lien for cleanup costs.

Council members framed the vote as a matter of public safety and fiscal responsibility. Council Member Susan Eisenhauer moved to approve the resolution (filed as Resolution #14) declaring the property a nuisance and authorizing the City to proceed with cleanup and potential demolition; Donnie Fisher seconded. The roll call vote was unanimous (Fisher, Pat Hatfield, Eisenhauer, Vickie Zelenka — all Aye). Mayor Charlie Hatfield presided.

Council and staff discussed demolition and abatement logistics: an outside contractor’s estimate for demolition (excluding asbestos) was discussed, and the City reported one contractor’s asbestos-removal estimate at roughly $725 plus landfill/dump fees. Earlier cost estimates cited by the owner or others — figures of about $12,000 to $17,000 for full abatement — were discussed as background but the Council noted contractor and disposal prices can vary. City Attorney Stehlik-Ladman explained that any City cleanup expense would be placed on a lien against the property and that foreclosing on that lien would require additional notice to heirs and a court process.

Clerk Curtis also reported that the assessor’s values for the parcel rose from about $5,045 in prior years to $11,620 for 2025, and that unpaid real estate taxes and utility charges remain on the record. Council members discussed the difficulty of recovering cleanup costs when demolition expense exceeds assessed value and reiterated a preference to avoid using City funds where private or nonprofit support (including a Pawnee City Development Corporation amnesty/reimbursement program) is available.

The action directs the City Attorney to serve the owner and known heirs with the adopted resolution and to begin arranging asbestos abatement and cleanup scheduling. Stehlik-Ladman said notices will be served by the sheriff and that contractors and the City will coordinate timing (council asked to allow a short, reasonable window for the owner to take corrective action or present a plan). The council also discussed controlled burn or volunteer options as cost-limiting measures but emphasized asbestos removal and safety protocols must be followed.

The meeting record shows the council previously voted earlier in the hearing to continue with the abatement process (an on-the-record motion) before adopting the formal resolution later in the meeting. The meeting adjourned at 8:10 p.m.; the City Attorney will file the resolution and effect service of notices as the next procedural step.