Cloverdale to regulate vacant buildings
CLOVERDALE -- The council was introduced to Ordinance 2018-1, which will regulate vacant properties within the town limits.
The ordinance, if approved, would require vacant buildings (including those being used as storage) to be registered with the clerk-treasurer along with ownership and contact information. It would also require owners to maintain insurance on the property and provide a written plan to the town for getting the house on the market.
It also requires the building inspector to report all vacant buildings to the council every six months.
The ordinance would require a $200 annual registration fee as well as a $500 fee for each initial inspection of a vacant building, with each additional reinspection costing $75. Violators would be subject to a minimum fine of $100 per day per violation or a maximum fine of $750 per day per violation.
“So these wouldn’t be sitting here not doing anything for 20 or 30 years,” Clerk-Treasurer Cheryl Galloway said. “There’s actually going to be a plan to put these buildings back in.”
In answer to a question from Gary Bennington, Clerk-Treasurer Galloway said that the ordinance was based on a similar ordinance from another town.
Bennington had moved at the start of the meeting to remove the ordinance from consideration, but it was not seconded.
“It’s a bad thing for the town, and it’s already got most of the stuff on it in the ordinances,” Bennington said. “And it’s a bad, bad thing. It’s extortion for the town. It gives too much to the building inspector, too many fines, too much extortion money is what I call it.”
He went on to say that rather than paying the building inspector, the town could have the town marshal inspect the buildings for free and make a recommendation to the Board of Zoning Appeals, which would pass it on to the council, which would then be responsible for addressing the issue.
Copies of the ordinance are available at the Cloverdale Town Hall. The council is set to consider approval at its next regular meeting.
In other news:
-- Absences: Don Sublett was absent.
-- Be the Change-Act: The council was introduced to the “Be the Change-Act” program, which is designed to raise awareness of community by distributing T-shirts listing local volunteer opportunities, governments and organizations, similar to a high school letter jacket.
The shirts, made locally at Odd Fellows Printing and Graphics, will be individualized by checking off each organization the person is involved in. At the end of the year, the person with the most checkmarks will receive $500.
Some designations on the back of the shirts are: Veteran; volunteer first responder; FFA; band; baseball team; teacher; coach; shop locally; farmer; own a business; leader of faith; Lion Club; Main Street; employed in town; member of the Chamber of Commerce; elected official; voted in an election; I live in Cloverdale.
“We’re trying to get people to become active citizens,” Marshal Steve Hibler said, “to understand what all’s available out there.”
The council was favorable to the idea and will consider approval at a later date.
-- Claims: The council approved claims at a total of $309,695.
-- LED streetlights: The council approved the purchase of LED lights in 135 existing streetlights from Duke Energy at a total cost of $77,399.58. Town Manager Wayne Galloway said the lights are expected to recover their cost in eight years.
-- Officers: The council appointed Coweta Patton president and Larry Fidler vice president. The council also re-appointed the Redevelopment Commission: Wayne Galloway, Matt Nichols, Andrea Nichols, Emma Hoffman and Alissa Atwell.
-- Stardust Road: The council approved paying Midwestern Engineers $11,197.80 and United Excavating $76,341.63 as work on Stardust Road continues.
The Cloverdale Town Council’s next regular meeting is set for Feb. 13 at 7 p.m. in the Cloverdale Town Hall at 154 S. Main St.