The Columbia Board of Aldermen will continue discussions about property issues during April.
Building Inspector Lonnie Stringer on March 20 presented several properties for the city to take action on ranging from letters to owners to clean them up to demolitions.
The Board’s discussions began with a property at 723 D St., but that was soon postponed to the April 17 meeting due to the fact that it and several other properties may be sold. The Board then mulled the fates and heard about a dozen other properties.
“151 South High School is the old food pantry,” Mayor Justin McKenzie said. “It is in need of demolition.”
The Board voted to schedule a hearing on the demolition for the April 17 meeting. No one was present for a hearing on a property at 401 Eagle Day, which is slated for cleaning and demolition.
The city also gave property owner Gilbert Johnson a deadline of April 17 to clean up a property located at 518 Bullis St.
“He asked us to give him time until the next meeting we have hearings at,” Ward 1 Alderman Wendell Hammond said.
The Board also took no action on a property located at 1135 Church St. and learned that work has begun to clean a property at 801 Willow Drive that has been sold. The Board also learned that another property on Stringer’s list, 413 Bay Ave., had been cleaned. A hearing was scheduled on mowing and cleaning the property located at 1023 Church St., as well as for one that has been burned at 1110 Broadmoor Ave. A hearing was also set for April 17 for a cleanup on the property at 804 Oak St. if it has not been done before the meeting.
McKenzie also publicized the pickup dates for limbs and debris placed at the curbs along city streets.
Ward 1 sites are picked up on Mondays, Ward 2 sites Tuesday, Ward 3 on Wednesday and Ward 4 on Thursday. Crews go back over to look around the city on Fridays.
“We also want people to know to please put their pine straw and leaves in bags,” McKenzie said. “It needs to be in bags and not stuck in the garbage. The garbage and lawn debris need to be placed in different locations.”
