Council to renew fines and notices

PHIL CAMPBELL — Enforcement actions for a group of deteriorating downtown buildings will resume after council members voted Dec. 16 in favor of the action.

Mayor Greg Williams said formal notices will be sent to property owners saying the need to address code violations and repair their buildings, or they are going to be fined.

The fines would continue until the buildings are condemned.

“We need to keep that up until we can get the properties condemned as a nuisance and hazard or get them in the town’s name,” Williams said.

After condemnation, the town could demolish or repair the structures and recover costs by placing liens against the property owners.

“After they get a bill like that, they’re probably going to sign the land over,” Williams said.

Attorney Nathan Johnson explained to council members that state law allows the town to pursue condemnation.

“If the town follows proper procedure, they can tear them down or repair them [buildings],” Johnson said. “There is a legal process for that, and it can definitely be done.”

Williams said the town previously paused enforcement efforts while officials explored the possibility of purchasing the buildings. That option ended after the town learned the properties carried liens that prevented a sale.

Williams said several of the buildings pose safety concerns.

“One building on the end, if you walk by it, the foundation is giving way and the walls are leaning out toward the road,” he said.

Williams said three nearby buildings remain in relatively good condition and have not had violations filed against them, but inspectors could still condemn additional structures if conditions worsen.

Johnson said demolition contractors must have liability insurance.

“If damage occurred, liability would depend on the contracts and insurance in place,” Johnson said.

The mayor said contractor Floyd Baker provided a preliminary estimate after visually inspecting the buildings from the exterior.

Baker estimated demolition costs at approximately $310,000, noting the figure could be higher once inspectors are allowed to look at the buildings.

“That’s just a rough price, so we know what kind of grant money we’d need to go after,” Williams said.

He said town officials cannot enter the buildings without a court order but would need another inspection as part of the condemnation process. He said the town has not yet scheduled that inspection.

During public comments, attendees raised questions about whether demolition could affect the state’s right of way along Highway 13. The state owns the sidewalk on one side of the road but not the other.

Johnson said he contacted an attorney with the Alabama Department of Transportation and reviewed state code.

“The only way a right of way can be expanded is through purchasing property or a condemnation action,” Johnson said. “I wouldn’t worry about any increase in the width of the right of way along Highway 13.”

Williams said the town may consider sidewalk repairs separately and could pursue grant funding for that work after resolving the problems with the buildings themselves.

The council took no formal vote on the buildings during the meeting.