Wymore to proceed with asbestos remediation and planned demolition at 217 S. 7th St.

City Attorney Andy Carothers told the Wymore City Council on Jan. 2 that contractors from Bockman will begin asbestos remediation at 217 S. 7th St. later this month and that property owner Marlene Nickell will not be permitted to re-enter the structure once remediation begins.

Carothers said he is preparing a demolition contract for a separate property owned by Tiemann that he expects to present at the council’s next meeting. He said the city is also drafting contracts with the property owners to the north and south of the Nickell building (identified in the meeting as Percival and Cook) that will include language intended to limit liability for the city and for the Tiemann property owner during demolition.

Utility Superintendent Tim Sedlacek told the council that bricks are falling out of the Cook building on a weekly basis, underscoring the safety risks that prompted the city’s actions. Carothers said he plans to apply for a Downtown Revitalization Grant before the February deadline to help address downtown blight and redevelopment costs.

The council did not vote on a demolition contract at the Jan. 2 meeting; Carothers said the Tiemann contract will be ready for consideration at the next regular meeting. The attorney also reported ongoing searches for Cemetery Board records and said the city clerk and county clerk are being queried for relevant documents.

Next steps: Carothers will present the demolition contract for council action at a future meeting and pursue grant funding; the council did not set a demolition date at the Jan. 2 session.