News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
The City of Livingston has established official guidelines for its Property Maintenance Committee.
City Attorney John Meadows presented the guidelines to Livingston’s Board of Mayor and Aldermen Monday.
“This is an outline of what their role is in serving as an advisory capacity to the codes officer,” Meadows said. “I think this clarifies some confusion about what role they play and specifies that they’re there to serve in an advisory capacity, as opposed to being a fact-finder or making any determinations.”
Alderman Ronald Dishman voted against the guidelines as he questioned whether the committee should exist.
“I have a concern with this [and] if this entire thing is legal, this property maintenance committee,” Dishman said. “People can laugh or whatever, in the audience, if they want to. I don’t care. I would like to see if the state or the local attorney general’s office can give us a ruling whether this property maintenance committee is legal the way it was handled.”
Meadows explained Livingston’s board is legal as the committee only serves as in an advisory role and has no authority.
“We’ve added that ordinance and everything with MTAS and the legal consultants there,” Meadows said. “We’re not the only city that has a property maintenance board. Some of them call it different things. The City of Crossville has one and several others do as well. I know whenever we created it, we reviewed some of the sample ordinances from of the other cities that established it. I think it’s legal and properly formed.”
The alderman voted 3-2 to pass the new guidelines with Dishman and Alderman David Langford opposing the motion. Vice Mayor Bill Winningham was absent from Monday’s meeting.
