Council orders several demolitions, hears multiple condemnation cases and defers some to allow owner outreach

The council held a sequence of condemnation hearings for several properties identified by the building official as structurally unsound or hazardous. Staff described repeated attempts to contact owners, newspaper notice efforts and certified letters; in some cases staff located potential heirs or found no active tax bills.

Legal counsel recommended condemnation where owners could not be located and where structures posed clear hazards. For one property staff recommended immediate condemnation and advised a 30‑day period during which owners could remedy the condition or arrange removal before the parish would bid demolition work. For another property (a mobile home whose roof had been missing for years) staff recommended further outreach and a 60‑day revisit to allow the owner to obtain permits and demonstrate progress; council members approved one deferral to Oct. 28 to allow additional outreach and permitting.

Council members and staff emphasized cost considerations and the parish’s existing budgeted nuisance/demolition allocation. Building staff offered to post cease‑and‑desist notices and to attempt more targeted owner contact; legal counsel said the parish would pursue liens and recovery through the standard statutory processes if owners did not respond. Several motions to close hearings and proceed with demolition steps carried or motions were deferred as appropriate.