Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Code Enforcement topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council orders repair or removal at 402 Walnut; later authorizes demolition bid award after shed remains unsafe
Summary
After repeated continuances, the council found the front porch at 402 Walnut hazardous and set deadlines for repair or removal. Subsequent inspections showed the porch removed but an unattached shed remained unsafe; council solicited bids and authorized a contractor to demolish the shed.
The La Cygne City Council moved through a series of hearings and inspections this winter and spring over dangerous conditions at 402 Walnut, property owned by Van Ross. Codes Officer and Police Chief Paul Filla repeatedly inspected the property; at a February meeting the council declared the porch and unattached garage (shed) dangerous and ordered repair or removal by an April deadline.
Owner representatives reported sporadic progress; by June the front porch had been removed but the shed remained structurally unsound. After holding the property owner to prior continuances, council advertised for bids to demolish the shed. The city accepted a written bid from American Wood for $1,000 to demolish and remove the structure and authorized the work to proceed. Council motions and votes were recorded in the minutes with formal motions for condemnation and demolition authority.
Council members emphasized the sequence: giving owners reasonable time to fix dangerous conditions, then using the condemnation process and contract bids when hazards were not fully corrected. City Attorney John Sutherland read the applicable code during hearings and requested owners document timelines for repairs. "If repairs are not made, the city will proceed with condemnation and abatement," the attorney advised during a public hearing.
Next steps: city staff will schedule demolition and then assess any costs to recover via property tax assessment if the owner does not pay.
