KINGWOOD — Kingwood Council discussed the advantages of adopting the International Property Maintenance Code Tuesday.
Council placed the code on the agenda for the next council meeting for further discussion.
Councilman Mike Lipscomb said he and representatives from other Preston County towns heard about the code at a recent meeting.
“It would supercede our unsafe building ordinance,” if adopted, Lipscomb said. “The problem being that you have to have an inspector.”
Masontown adopted the code eight or nine years ago and, by getting an inspector from Morgantown, has been able to get two unsafe buildings torn down and several mobile homes moved, he said.
Unlike city ordinances, the code has been tested in court, Lipscomb said. The presenter at the session he attended recommended towns adopt the 61-page code whether they have an inspector or not.
Recorder Bill Robertson said it would simplify Kingwood’s efforts to condemn unsafe buildings. Councilman Josh Fields asked if Masontown contracted with the inspector.
Lipscomb said in Masontown, the inspector donated his time. Mayor Jean Guillot said County Administrator Kathy Mace told him that the county is considering putting a building inspector on retainer and making that person available to towns.
“If we don’t have the code, there’s no inspecting to be done. The code has to come first,” Lipscomb said.
In regard to unsafe buildings, the mayor said the house at 114 1/2 Chestnut St. that the town is seeking to have repaired or condemned, “needs to come down.”
The building is open and could be entered by squatters, he said, and mold is obvious. The owner has not repaired it and refuses to sell, Guillot said. Council asked him to call the city attorney to see what the next step is in condemnation.
Council also:
– approved the third-quarter donation of $2,500 to Main Street Kingwood. Robertson asked Councilwoman Michelle Whetsell, who serves on the Main Street board, if the group would provide a financial statement before the fourth quarter.
– approved closing South Price Street noon-10 p.m. Aug. 1 for the Fourth Annual Preston County Arts Festival.
– reappointed Bob DeRiggi to the water board for another three years.
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