Tearing down of buildings is OK'd
SIKESTON - A resolution authorizing the emergency demolition of 10 structures found to be health and safety hazards was approved by the City Council during their regular meeting Tuesday.
City Manager Doug Friend said these buildings are within the Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority's initial target area.
Friend said the files on these structures include documentation from the code enforcement division; correspondence from the city engineer advising the cost of rehabilitation for the structures is more than their present value; reports from the fire division; and documentation from the detective division about crimes committed in and around the structures.
He said the city will contract with the LCRA for the demolitions.
Friend said it is not a giveaway to the property owners, but the demolitions will "benefit the neighborhoods, benefit the community" and that liens will be placed on the properties for the cost of demolition. The LCRA will also seek to obtain titles for these properties.
Chuck Leible, city counselor, asked City Clerk Carroll Couch to note in the minutes that city officials tried to the best of their ability to contact the property owners; that each of the properties were cited for numerous code violations; that the cost of rehabilitating the structures exceeds the value of the property; and that "the structures in their present state pose an immediate danger to the health and safety of the general public."
"Most of these are not structures, anyway: they're partial structures," said Councilman Jim Terrell.
One of the structures is a burned house trailer.
"We sure don't want any children to get in there and get trapped or killed," said Mayor Mike Marshall.
The structures are located at: 843 Agnes, 330 Alabama, 205 Bowman, 306 Branum, 110 Daniel, 1716 Ford, 407 W. Gladys, 912 Lake, 837 Mary and 818 Wayne.
In other action Tuesday, a bill amending the city's flood plain regulations was read for the second time and passed.
The amendment is in response to a Missouri State Emergency Management Agency Community Assistance visit and will keep the city in compliance with the National Flood Insurance Program.
"It doesn't change any of the requirements our citizens are used to," Friend said.
He added that most of the changes don't apply to Sikeston.