Council mulls solution to unsightly property

WORLAND — Worland residents Wanda and Dennis Richard, owners of property at 622 South Fifth, came before the council Tuesday night to discuss what they described as dilapidated apartments next door.

Wanda Richard said they have talked to the ordinance officer and the city building official and finally talked to council member Mike Neufer who suggested they come before the council with their concerns.

She said they have been trying since 2017 to get the neighbors to clean up the property. She said the building is falling apart with the only thing living there are mice, rats and the occasional transient.

“We’re trying to sell our house but no one wants to buy it because of what is next door,” Wanda Richard said.

Neufer said there is a “long paper trail” regarding the property at 624 South Fifth. Letters were sent by Building Official Randy Adams in 2019 asking them to get the roof repaired and board up the windows but nothing has been done since the letters were sent out.

Chief Gabe Elliott said he became aware of the issue at the department head meeting last week and said since the owner has been put on notice with the letters in 2019, a citation for building code violation can be issued, which will send the case to municipal court.

City Attorney Kent Richins said there appears to be three issues with the property, the exterior, building code violations, which can be addressed in court, but city ordinance still does not have enough “teeth” to force owners to clean up the property. Owners can be cited for each day the violations are not addressed.

Council member Mandy Horath said there needs to be strict enforcement of the ordinance under these circumstances and if it states there would be a citation issued each day then a citation needs to be issued every day.

The third issue is a health and safety issue of the interior of the building and that is call that the County Public Health Officer has to address, Richins said.

He said in the past the city has been able to clean up condemned or deteriorating property because the property was deeded to the city. He said he does not necessarily recommend that because then the cost falls to the city.

Mayor Jim Gill noted that the city’s budget is tight and only expected to get tighter with the state making severe cuts.

According the MapServer program on the Washakie County website, the owner of record of the property is Kristy Vega.

Clerk/Treasurer Tracy Glanz volunteered to keep the Richards up to date on the issue.

The council also discussed whether the ordinance officer should be issuing more citations. Elliott said the council’s direction last year was to try and work with property owners.

Horath suggested switching hours of the ordinance officer to include weekends and evenings where she might be able to visit with people face to face to discuss the ordinance violations.

In the past week, based on the calls for service there were 17 ordinance violations.