Jamestown To Begin Property Codes Enforcement

The City of Jamestown will begin enforcing property codes in the coming months.

Mayor Lyndon Baines said Building Inspector Gary South began evaluating properties in April.

“He has been looking at some of the older buildings and stuff and making sure they are up to code and we are trying to make our city look a lot better. Some of the buildings need to be torn down and some of them don’t,” Baines said. “Some just need to be cleaned up a little bit. So that is what he is doing is going around and checking out some of the older buildings.”

Baines said previous administrations did not enforce the slum property ordinance.

“Back when Mayor Smith was in was when it was adopted, but that has been almost five years ago,” Baines said. “And nothing was ever done so it just sat on the books, so we decided to get it going and get started. And there are people wanting it done, so that is what we are trying to do.”

Baines said the city does not know how many buildings fail to meet maintenance requirements.

“Right now I don’t have a number but it’s not that many. It’ll be a very low number that needs to be brought up. So we should have them pretty soon when he is done with all his inspections,” Baines said. “He’s only been in the office, maybe, a couple of months, being in the position. So he is still doing a lot of stuff, like going over our codes and the international building codes too.”

South filled the inspector position in March. When a building does not meet requirements, the city will notify the property owner by letter.

“We are setting up an appeals board, it’s not set up yet, but we are setting up an appeals board for them to come to state their case and then we will go from there,” Baines said. “I think he is going to go with 90 days [for them] just to get started. Once they get started and it’s going to be done pretty good after that, then you can work at your own pace.”

Baines said the board would need at least five people.

“Well, it’s going to be an architect and some people in the building industries, contractors and stuff….” Baines said. “We are hoping, July 1st we are hoping to have this board together. That’s what we are hoping for. We are just trying to get some people together.”

Those found in violation will have the opportunity to appeal once a board is appointed.