KINGWOOD — Kingwood Council continues to work with Morgantown Code Enforcement to fine tune the city’s crackdown on dilapidated buildings.
Council also noted progress on some buildings and lack of it on others.
Kingwood contacted Morgantown in hopes of being able to contract with one of its inspectors. An inspector is needed to enforce city codes.
Recorder Bill Robertson said Morgantown is sending a draft agreement. City Clerk Michelle Whetsell will send copies of Kingwood’s codes to Morgantown for advice.
“Let them kind of look at it and what their recommendations are,” Whetsell said.
Robertson said “Council has to be willing to create a fund that if we do condemn these buildings, we can actually tear them down. Because it does no good to go through this process if it gets to the point we own the building and can’t do anything with it.”
Mayor Jean Guillot agreed money needs set aside, perhaps quarterly from the 1% sales tax.
“Otherwise you can just name these buildings that have been around here and nothing’s been done,” he said. “Some of those folks who have been staring at those dilapidated houses across the street after five, six, seven, eight years, that gets old … we’re going to have to take the lead on that.”
Council also voted to proceed with the removal of asbestos from the house at the city-owned Maplewood Cemetery, followed by demolition of the building.
A $3,000 Department of Environmental Protection grant will help toward the $5,600 asbestos removal cost. The city estimates it will cost about $13,000 for city workers to do the demo.
Another building council has sought to have repaired or removed is the blue apartment building on Morgan Street. The six-unit building and adjacent three-bedroom house will be sold at auction Tuesday by Joe R. Pyle Auction.
But nothing is happening on repairs to the Schwab Building on Price Street so that the sidewalk along W.Va. 7 can be reopened, Councilwoman Karen Kurilko noted. Councilman Dick Shaffer said the building’s fire escape is near to collapse too.
Council agreed to send a letter to the owners.
Council also:
- proclaimed today Ruby Armstrong Day in honor of her 104th birthday.
- approved a letter of support for an Abandoned Mine Lands grant application to improve the trail head across the road from the Craig Civic Center.
- agreed that a miniature pig kept by a city resident is a pet even though the pig stays outside in a pen while its owner is at work. It stays mostly in the house. Someone had asked if it was livestock, which is prohibited in town.
- voted to make Sept. 25 a work day for city employees because the Buckwheat Festival was cancelled. Employees will receive a vacation day instead, which must be scheduled with their supervisor.
- asked the city supervisor to get prices on Dumpsters and asked Whetsell to find out what people pay to rent Dumpsters. Whetsell said several people have asked to rent them.
- approved the first quarter donation of $1,500 to Main Street Kingwood.
- agreed representatives of all departments will meet with Kurilko to develop goals for the city.
