Kaplan council orders demolitions for blighted houses after neighbors raise health concerns

The Kaplan City Council on a June night moved forward on condemning multiple derelict properties, voting to require demolition or give owners short windows to act after neighbors raised health and safety concerns.

Mayor Mike Lemoine opened the condemnation hearings following staff reports about properties in poor condition on main thoroughfares. For 607 North Church Street, staff said the owner had executed a contract with a demolition company and expected demolition within 30–60 days. During public comment, neighbor Brenda Loriman said the property was infested with rats and asked what steps the city, the owner, or the demolition contractor would take to eliminate pests before demolition. "Property owners and tenants have clear rights to safe environments," Loriman said.

City Attorney Calvin Woodruff responded that staff would contact the owner and require a plan; if the owner did not act, the city "may have to undertake to hire a pest company to eradicate that before the demolition," he said. The mayor said the mayor's office would handle follow‑up and keep neighbors informed. The council subsequently carried the motion before the body on a voice vote.

At 713 North Wilson Street council members voted to order condemnation and give the owner 30 days either to demolish the structure or face city‑led demolition with a lien placed on the property. Staff described the house as abandoned and an "eyesore" on an emergency route.

A more contested exchange concerned 601 West 8th Street, a case the council has handled since 2021. The owner submitted a written 90‑day rehabilitation plan; some council members urged giving the owner an opportunity to follow the plan while others said the property has been under notice for years and recommended condemnation. A substitute motion to grant 90 days was raised but did not receive a second. On a roll‑call the council recorded a 3–1 vote to proceed with condemnation and demolition and instructed staff to issue formal notice to the owner.

Council members said they prefer owners complete demolition themselves when possible because city‑led demolition can cost the city several thousand dollars. Council staff said letters and multiple contacts had been sent to the owners in these cases.

What happens next: staff will send formal notices to owners affected by the condemnation actions; for cases where demolition proceeds, the city will seek to place liens to recover costs if the owner does not act.

(Reporting note: transcript spelling is inconsistent for some names in the record; the council's city attorney appears in the record as "Mr. Woody" and is later identified as Calvin Woodruff. A neighbor complaint and city attorney response are recorded verbatim in council minutes.)