WESTOVER — Westover Public Works Director Jason Stinespring said the city is looking to get tough on vacant and condemned properties.
During Monday’s regular meeting of Westover City Council, Stinespring distributed lists of all the properties within the city that fall into those two categories.
He noted there are currently 16 properties registered as vacant. Fines ranging from $500 to $4,000 begin accumulating on those properties one year after registry.
“There is a required yearly inspection for each property and that’s how we’ll get on some of these. I’ll be honest, there’s a lot going on. I’m not making excuses,” Stinespring said. “We’ve decided we do need to clamp down on those inspections.”
In terms of condemned properties, Stinespring said he’s working with the mayor and the city attorney to begin placing liens on properties that are not dealt with.
The city also already has a nuisance property law on the books, which it intends to start enforcing, particularly when dealing with repeat offenders.
“Honestly, that particular landlord is the reason we don’t get anything done,” Stinespring said in reference to a Bryant Street property. “We deal with him all day long. We had to schedule a whole court day for him because we have so many citations for him we needed a day.”
A code change will come before council in the coming weeks that will also give the city more leverage in terms of those citations.
“When we write out citations for property maintenance, it’s a misdemeanor, and if they don’t show up to court, we don’t really have any recourse,” Stinespring said. “With this, if you’ve not paid the citation or scheduled a hearing by the hearing date, it will be a failure to appear and the judge would have the option to issue a capias [warrant] for them.”
Members of council offered support for increased pressure on problem properties.
“If there’s anything that we can do to help you. If there’s not enough teeth in the ordinances, come to us, because if you don’t have the tools council can probably help you get them,” Councilor Steve Andryzcik said.
In other news from Monday’s meeting, council:
- Approved its first budget revision of the 2023 fiscal year reflecting a $3,300,134 general fund carryover and a $183 coal severance carryover.
- Renewed the contract for the school resource officer at Westwood Middle. The contract amount is up from $48,000 to $52,276.30.
- Approved $2,500 for the Morgantown Utility Board’s Household Hazardous Waste event, to be held from 8-11 a.m. Aug. 6 at MUB’s 278 Green Bag Road location.
