City OKs agreement to demolish homes

By By Fredie Carmichael / staff writer
Jan. 10, 2004
Fifty-seven condemned houses in Meridian, what some officials have referred to as health hazards and eyesores, will soon be torn down.
Meridian city councilmen signed an agreement Friday to work with Lauderdale County to jointly demolish the homes. The agreement was then sent to the state attorney general's office for final approval.
The city council's action came three days after supervisors refined their wording of the agreement. Supervisors passed the initial agreement Monday, but some city officials weren't satisfied with that version.
When the agreement first went before supervisors last year, they were going to give the city a lump sum of money to help tear down condemned property. That was scrapped because of a lack of cash.
On Tuesday, supervisors removed a provision in the new agreement that referred to last year's proposal.
District 4 Supervisor Joe Norwood pushed for the county to help demolish the condemned property, citing it as a health and safety issue.
City officials say the 57 homes have been tested and are currently ready for demolition. Besides those 57 homes, officials said the city has many more structures that also need attention.
Farrar said putting the homes on the demolition list is the last step of a lengthy process to rid the city of the eyesores. Farrar said the city's intent is not to tear down structures.
In other business
Meridian City Councilmen met for more than four hours Friday as they separately interviewed each of the city's department heads. Here are a few notes from the meeting.
City Court Judge Lester Williamson asked why he and the other four members who make up the city's judicial branch of government didn't receive a 2.5 percent pay raise like other city employees. Councilmen said it must have been an
unintentional mistake and vowed to find out why they were left out.
Community Development Director Don Farrar announced that March 8 will mark the next court date in the city's efforts to expand its
corporate limits north into Lauderdale County and include the upscale Eagle Pointe subdivision.
Meridian Police Chief Benny DuBose said the department's newly implemented 12-hour shifts are working, and that the morale of the department seems to be up.
Newly appointed Fire Chief Tim Miller said the city will maintain its Class 4 fire rating. Meanwhile, former Meridian Fire Chief H.C. "Bunky"
Partridge, who heads the Department of Homeland Security, was the only department head not invited to attend the work session.