At the July 11 Osceola City Council meeting, council approved 5-0 a 90-day notice to Linda Hernandez to demolish two residential dwellings. The properties in question are located at 131 East Cass and 401 West Clay.
Hernandez was served June 23 with dangerous building notices that identified a series of deficiencies at both properties, and ordered the demolition of both.
Chapter 145 of the City of Osceola code of ordinances, “Dangerous Buildings,” states that a dangerous or unsafe building is as any structure or mobile home that meets any, or all, of the following criteria: various inadequacies, manifestly unsafe, inadequate maintenance, fire hazard or abandoned. A full definition of each of the criteria can be found in chapter 145, section 3 of Osceola’s code of ordinances.
“This is not the only set of notices that we’ve done…this is a relatively regular part of our operations and not something that we do on an infrequent basis,” said Osceola City Administrator Ty Wheeler.
Wheeler said so far this year, the city has performed two dangerous building demolitions, and have three more out in addition to Hernandez’s two. Two are uncontested, and the third property is being demolished by the owner without further action.
Hernandez chose to exercise her right to have a hearing before council, where she was given the opportunity to discuss why she did not feel her properties should be abated.
Hernandez told council she is attempting to fix both properties, but has experienced a variety of setbacks. She explained she has hired people who either don’t finish the job, or stop showing up. She has also had to deal with vandalism at both properties.
“I think the overall question is, what is your plan?” councilman Tom Bahls said to Hernandez, and asked if it wouldn’t be better for her to sell to someone who can reinvest in the homes.
Hernandez said she would like to get the inside of the West Clay property finished so that she can sell, and fix the East Cass property to move there from her current residence. Both properties have been unoccupied for several years. Municipal utility records for 401 West Clay show it last had utilities in late 2020, and there is no available record for 131 East Cass, likely because records do not go back that far with the Water Works department.
Mayor Thomas Kedley addressed the issue of cats that are often seen at the East Cass house, stating it does not help with Osceola’s feral cat population, as they are allowed to run at large. Councilman Dan Hooper expressed concern with Hernandez being able to find someone willing to undertake the work that needs done at both houses in a quick time frame to make them livable. Councilman Doug Gay expressed similar concern, stating that in the seven years he’s been on council, at least one of the properties has been in a derelict condition.
“I appreciate you coming tonight, but…maybe [they’re] getting too much for you to maintain,” said Kedley.
When asked by councilman Jose Vargas what Hernandez’s ask of the council was, she said would like to have the chance to keep fixing her properties, she just needed some time.
“Maybe you can only pick one…the quandary I’m in… something’s gotta be done. We’ve had this before…proposal to fix either one or both, but progress has to be shown and it has to be short,” said councilman-at-large Dr. George Fotiadis.
After more discussion, Gay made a motion that was seconded by Fotiadis to move forward with the 90-day notice to abate the nuisance.
Public hearing
A public hearing was set for Aug. 1, for comments on the sale of two parcels of city-owned real estate by sealed bid. The two parcels are 204 North Main and 107 West Webster; both have a minimum bid amount of $1,000. The parcels were both nuisance clean-up projects of the city’s, and Wheeler said there was interest from the adjoining property owners in acquiring the properties. Information about the public hearing and bidding process can be found at city hall, and in the legal section of this newspaper.
Other council news
Council approved 5-0 a resolution that updated the City of Osceola employee manual pertaining to seatbelts. The update, which will be found in section three of Chapter 3.12 will read in part:
“...Employees are also prohibited from riding in or on parts of a vehicle not designed for human occupancy. This includes but is not limited to pick-up and truck boxes, fenders, steps, and bumpers. This also applies to trailers, ATV dump boxes and lift buckets.”
The addition came at the request of the city’s insurance holder, Iowa Municipalities Workers’ Compensation Association.
Jeremy Evers was appointed to the Golf Course Management Commission 5-0. Evers will fill the unexpired term of Brad Lampe, who will step down to be able to focus more time on his role as a member of the Clarke Community School board and teaching music at Central College.**
Meeting minutes from the July 11 Osceola City Council are available in the legal section of this paper, or on the city’s website: www.osceolaia.net.