I. CALL TO ORDER
Commissioner Tom Gray attended the meeting of the Unsafe Building & Hearing Authority via conference call and called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 16, 2022 in the Council Chambers of Martinsville City Hall.
II. ROLL CALL
Commissioner Gray conducted the roll call. The following were present: G. Thomas Gray, Board Commissioner; Dwayne Metcalf, Board Commissioner; Mike Lanam, Board Commissioner; Dale Coffey, Board Attorney; Bob Strader, Building Inspector; Phil Vaught, Code Enforcement Officer; and Mae Cooper, Administrative Assistant to the Building Inspector
III. CONSIDERATION OF MINUTES
A motion to approve the minutes from the September 21, 2022 meeting was made by Commissioner Lanam and seconded by Commissioner Gray. Motion passed 3 – 0
IV. PUBLIC SIGN IN DISCUSSION
No one signed in to speak.
V. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
A) 190, 190 ½, 192 W. Harrison St: Tabled until the January 2023 meeting.
B) 520 W. Douglas St: Inspector Strader spoke with Wendi Newman this week. The home is unoccupied. Someone broke in and vandalized the interior, damaging a door and some windows. Ms. Newman will contact Inspector Strader after Thanksgiving to give him an update on repairs.
C) 180 W. Washington St: There is two feet of siding missing around the bottom of the detached garage located in the rear of the property. Several letters have been sent to the owner with no response. A motion was made by Commissioner Metcalf to send a letter to the owner by certified mail informing him that the Unsafe Building and Hearing Authority will take bids to make the needed repairs to the garage if it is not repaired by January 1, 2023. Commissioner Gray seconded the motion. Motion passed 3 – 0
D) 1305 Ash Ct: Attorney Coffey sent a letter to the attorney taking care of the deceased owner’s estate. The attorney was asked to make contact; there was no response. Commissioner Gray made a motion to obtain an administrative warrant from the court for Inspector Strader and any others Mr. Strader determines necessary to inspect the interior of the home. Commissioner Lanam seconded the motion. Motion passed 3 – 0
E) 209 S. Wayne St: Inspector Strader conducted the court-ordered warrant to inspect the interior of the home. While some of the issues were addressed, Inspector Strader found that there were still issues to be taken care of. At the second court appearance it was stressed to the owner the need to continue to clean up the interior and repair the soffits and gutters on the outside. Inspector Strader spoke with the owner’s sister about giving sufficient time to take care of the issues and that he would be monitoring the progress. He will follow up in one month.
F) 489 E. Walnut St: Inspector Strader received a call from the police department. They had been called to the property from a report that the building had been broken into and people were going inside. Inspector Strader will contact the owner about securing the building.
VI. NEW BUSINESS
A) 484 N. Maple St: The owner responded to a letter regarding the detached garage on the property. She will take steps to close the holes in the structure and get estimates to install siding in the spring.
B) 810 E. Prospect: The owner has not responded to a letter sent to him regarding the needed repairs to the detached garage on his property. The gutters, gutter board and soffit have fallen off and are laying on the ground. Commissioner Gray made a motion to send a second letter to the owner asking him to make the repairs or the Unsafe Building and Hearing Authority will solicit bids and have the structure repaired. Commissioner Lanam seconded the motion. Motion passed 3 – 0
C) 599 N. Elliott St: The detached garage on the property does not look to be repairable. The owner has not responded to a letter asking him to contact Inspector Strader. Attorney Coffey will send a letter requesting permission to inspect the structure.
D) 609 N. Elliott St: A letter was sent to the owner regarding the condition of the detached garage. There has been no response to date. Inspector Strader will follow up. Tabled until the December meeting.
E) 645 S. Ohio St: Inspector Strader reported he had spoken with the owner, and she agreed to allow him to inspect the interior of the structure. When he met her at the property, she refused to let him inside. Inspector Strader pointed out the places on the exterior that needed repaired as they walked around the exterior of the building. Several attempts have been made to work with the owner over a lengthy period of time with no progress made to secure the structure. Commissioner Gray made a motion to obtain an Administrative Warrant from the court to inspect the interior of the structure. Commissioner Metcalf seconded the motion. Motion passed 3 – 0
VII. ADJOURNMENT
With no further business to discuss, a motion to adjourn was made by Commissioner Lanam and seconded by Commissioner Gray. Motion passed 3 – 0.
Minutes submitted by Mae Cooper, Administrative Assistant to the Building Inspector
