By Terry Schrimscher, For The Tribune
CLAY — The Clay City Council held its first scheduled meeting of 2023 Tuesday night, Jan. 10. City Manager Ronnie Dixon moved quickly through the brief agenda, which contained an update on a previously condemned property and a public hearing on abatement at a private property.
In the Nov. 22 meeting, the Council approved a resolution condemning a burned home located at 6511 Self Lane. The property first appeared on the agenda for Oct. 25. Still, the vote to condemn the property was delayed until Nov. 22 because the mortgage company asked for a delay in an earlier meeting and has since informed the city that the mortgage on the property has been paid.
“We had a bid on tearing down the house,” Dixon said. “We only had one bid for $16,600. We’ll accept it. It’s in range, and we’ve worked with that company before.”
After the November meeting where the resolution was approved, Dixon said the city typically clears the condemned property and places a lien on the real estate for the cost of the demolition, which can be as high as $20,000.
The agenda also contained a public hearing on properties at 789 Chestnut Drive and 6791 Old Springville Road. The properties were on the agenda for violations of a public nuisance ordinance approved in 2010. The ordinance specifies the city has the right to remove a current nuisance from any property within the city after giving notice of a public hearing on the nuisance.
In the ordinance, a nuisance is defined as overgrown grass or weeds and can also apply to unsightly or potentially hazardous debris on a property.
Both property owners were given 14 days to clear the properties, and no vote was taken on the proposed resolution to abate the nuisances at the expense of the property owners. The Council is expected to review the progress and will consider the pending resolution to clear the properties at the next meeting if the owners have not taken action.
The next meeting of the Clay City Council is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Jan. 24.