Rick Patrick: Greene Publishing, Inc.
During the recent meeting of the City of Madison's Code Enforcement Board, on Tuesday, Aug. 29, several properties within the City of Madison were found to be in violation of the city's Health and Sanitation Ordinance/Article IV/Nuisances. This ordinance addresses a variety of potential problems, such as:
Section 13/72(6) in that the condition of the property tends to depreciate the value of the property of others;
Section 13/73(3) in that the condition of the property provides harborage for rats, mice, snakes and other vermin; and
Section 13/73(4) in that the structure located on the property is in such a dilapidated condition that it is unfit for human habitation, or kept in such an unsanitary condition that it is a menace to the health of people residing in the vicinity thereof, or presents a more than ordinarily dangerous fire hazard in the vicinity where it is located.
The Board voted to give three properties in Madison until Monday, Sept. 25 to comply with the ordinance. The properties will be on the docket of the Board's meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 26. In order to comply with the ordinance, the property owners need to provide a timeline by which they will demolish the dilapidated structures and properly dispose of its remains. The property owners are also required to conduct yard maintenance on the properties.
The first property is located at 157 SE Bennett St. The name listed on the county's Property Appraiser's website is Property Asset Management of San Diego, Ca. There is a dilapidated structure on the property, and the property needs yard maintenance. The property owner was not at the code enforcement meeting.
The second address is 198 SE Moore St. The name listed on the county's Property Appraiser's website is Cornelius Cooks Estate. There is a dilapidated structure on the property, and the property needs yard maintenance. The property owner was not at the code enforcement meeting.
The third property address is 192 SW Scruggs Ave. The names listed on the county’s Property Appraiser's website are Alphonso and Betty Hudson c/o Alphons Hudson, Jr. There is a dilapidated structure on the property and the property needs yard maintenance. The property owner was not at the code enforcement meeting.
There were two additional properties that were in violation of the ordinance in terms of the upkeep of the property and structures.
The first of these was at 179 E. Base St. The name listed on the county's Property Appraiser's website is Lucky Llama, LLC. In the Statement of Violation from the city, the property owner is to paint the front portions of the building that formerly were white in color, such as the columns; remove vines clinging to the west side of the building facing Horry Avenue; clear the back lot (north side of the building) of foliage; mow the west side of the alleyway that is to the east side of the building; remove the abandoned furniture sitting on the second floor porch facing U.S. 90; and remove any broken glass. The property owner was not present at the code enforcement meeting.
The next property found to be in violation is at 199 E. Base St. The name listed on the county’s Property Appraiser's website is Camel Corner, LLC. In the Statement of Violation from the city, the property owner is to remove the vines clinging to the west side of the building; mow the east side of the alleyway that is to the west side of the building; and conduct basic grounds-keeping needed in other areas of the property. The property owner was not present at the code enforcement meeting.
The final property of concern is at 194 SW Georgetown Rd. The Board tabled this matter in order to enable the city to work with the property owner, who was present at the code enforcement meeting, to establish a timeline for removal of a structure located on the property. The name listed on the county's Property Appraiser's website is Jesse Solomon. There is a dilapidated structure on the property.
“We have an active code enforcement (city beautification) program that is addressing nuisance areas throughout the city. We have 84 cases in our code enforcement database. These cases either have been resolved, or are in the process of being resolved, or are on the list for follow-up site visits for future enforcement. The list continues to grow through input provided by concerned citizens or through city staff efforts to identify areas that need enforcement,” said City Manager Tim Bennett. “Code enforcement is one of the top priorities of the Madison City Commission; [along with] fiscal sustainability and accountability, public safety, public infrastructure and economic development.”