Meridian Code Enforcement staff and the City Council heard from several homeowners on Tuesday during a public hearing about condemned properties.
A public hearing is a required step in the process of taking down dilapidated structures and comes after multiple attempts by code enforcement to contact the owner about their property’s condition. A total of 43 properties were presented Tuesday, with three removed as they have already been addressed.
The council voted to hold off condemning an additional three properties after hearing from the property owners about their plans to address the code violations. The owners will have 90 days to show visible progress on their property or else the structures will be added to the condemned property list.
Community Development Director Craig Hitt, whose department includes code enforcement, said the next step in the process will be to advertise for bids to demolish the condemned structures.
Councilman Dwayne Davis asked if Hitt had the money in his budget to take down all of the properties presented Tuesday night.
Previous demolition costs have been about $5,000 to $7,000 per structure, Hitt said, and the current funding available for demolition will not be enough to cover all of the structures on Tuesday’s list.
In the bids, contractors will provide a cost for each home, which will allow the city to choose which structures to prioritize, he said. The council has also provided additional funds to go toward the demolition costs in the past and can choose to do so again if so inclined.
City Attorney Will Simmons said residents should understand the city will be recouping the costs of the demolition by placing tax liens on the properties. Owners will not be able to sell their property until the liens are paid, he said, and can also impact a person’s ability to borrow money.
In many cases, Simmons said, property owners can hire a private contractor to demolish the structure for less than what the city will be charged. For some, however, the up front cost is too high.