Bids for rehabilitation of local residences approved

Rehabilitation of two local houses and possible demolition of another were among items discussed during Tuesday evening's brief Fort Scott City Commission meeting.

During the meeting, Codes Manager Brent Crays said rehab projects for structures located at 107 N. Little and 115 N. Little each received multiple bids. Funds from a housing rehabilitation grant will pay for interior and exterior renovations of the homes, and there will be funds left over from the grant to pay for work on one additional house, Crays said.

Commissioners approved the low bids of $20,300 from Ewing Construction, of Erie, to renovate the house at 115 N. Little, and $20,600 from Nance Construction, of Galesburg, for work on the home at 107 N. Little.

The housing grant is aimed at rehabbing dilapidated structures for property owners who meet certain income guidelines, Crays said.

The commission also conducted a public hearing and approved a resolution directing the repair or removal of an unsafe and dangerous structure and accessory structure located at 114 N. Judson.

Crays told the commission the "dilapidated, dangerous and unsafe house" is in seriously bad condition. The north side of the property is bowing from front to back, the roof is starting to cave in and could collapse, and the rafters are sticking out, Crays said.

Crays added he is worried that if the house continues to be left in its current condition, it could fall and hit a neighboring house. The house is currently unoccupied and the owner has been contacted but has not stated any plans to repair it.

The commission voted to move forward with demolition if the structure is not brought up to code within 15 days.

Crays also briefly discussed the possible future of a plot of city-owned land located at 524 Hulett. Crays said he has researched the property, which is mostly pastureland, and said it was deeded over to the city in 1995.

"In a nutshell, I'm asking the commission to grant the sale for the property to get it back on the tax rolls," he said.

Commissioners approved Crays' request to allow the sale of the property to an interested buyer.

In other business, the commission:

* Approved the consent agenda, which included appropriation ordinances totaling $438,633; approval of 2013 cereal malt beverage licenses; November financials; and a request to pay Curt McCullough $432.50 for repair of the back door at Memorial Hall.

* Heard an end-of-year report on the city's finances from Director of Finance Jon Garrison. The report that Garrison discussed lists each of the funds in the city's budget and shows comparisons between the 2013 budget and 2012 figures. One example is that the city brought in $381,788 more in revenue to the general fund than was budgeted for 2012. Garrison said the plan is to provide weekly financial updates to the commission.