News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
White County Executive Denny Wayne Robinson said the county currently has no guidelines to enforce property maintenance.
Commissioners are set to explore options in committee next month. Robinson said as the county grows, his office receives more calls regarding the issue.
“Farms are now being sold off and subdivided and you are getting 50 houses are a 25 acre plot,” Robinson said. “When you start putting people closer together like that, we are starting to get more complaints about what is safe and what is a healthy environment.”
Robinson said issues such as excessive trash and abandoned burnt homes need to be addressed. Robinson said it is a tough topic to approach since many residents do not want the added guidelines.
This is not the first effort that the county has made to enforce property guidelines. Two years ago, the commission passed a resolution to create a health and safety board. Robinson said the body was meant to regulate public health concerns on private property.
“What was brought up in the past was not the colors of houses,” Robinson said. “It was more about when you walk at the door and there is a big rat because your neighbor has a landfill next to you. That is what we were trying to address. Unfortunately, there are areas that is the case. The big thing for me was burnt homes. Owners just went off and left it, and it becomes a safety issue.”
The private act request needed to be passed by the General Assembly, but Robinson said the item never made it to the floor. Robinson said anything explored by commissioners would be separate from building codes.
