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Council weighs tearing down rear third of derelict building; may bill owner or accept property
Summary
Councilors discussed bids to remove the rear third of a deteriorating building, options to place the cost on property taxes, bill the owner, or seek transfer of the property to the county; staff will pursue additional bids and pursue owner contact.
Council members reviewed options for addressing a structurally compromised building in town and directed staff to continue pursuing vendor bids and owner contact.
Chair (speaker 4) outlined the options under consideration: "We can have that taken down...and we can put that on the taxes for the building or we can send them a bill for it," and added that the contractor had requested a waiver on liability for the remainder of the building if the rear third were removed. Members discussed the possibility of accepting a deed to the property, salvaging limestone from the structure and whether to bill the owner or put costs on tax rolls.
Why it matters: councilors said neither choice is ideal for the county budget; removing the rear third would make the site safer but would require up-front spending. The chair said the county had already solicited at least one bid and was seeking more vendors; one local vendor indicated the job might be too small to mobilize for without additional work in the area.
Next steps: staff will request additional bids, send registered mail to the property owner to seek response, and report back with contractor estimates and recommendations. Council members also suggested having an appointed member inspect upper floors to inform the estimate of structural risk.
