Council approves cost of demolition

By Katie Stallcup (Contact) | The Natchez Democrat

Published Wednesday, December 12, 2007

FERRIDAY — The Ferriday Town Council approved the cost of demolishing condemned buildings at Tuesday’s meeting.

The city will pay $970 per house to demolish roughly 15 houses. The owners will then be charged for the cost of demolition, Mayor Gene Allen said.

“That’s pretty cheap there,” Allen said.

There was a brief silence before a motion was made to accept the cost.

Allen has recently said he has received complaints from residents about the dilapidated houses, many of which he said are infested with insects or are used as drug houses.

Property owners will be notified that their houses are on the list of condemned buildings.

The board also talked about applying for a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to build a new combined fire and police station.

“I thought the land across from here (city hall) might be a place to build,” Allen said.

The board voted to ask the school board about giving the city the land next to the gymnasium on Florida Avenue to build the proposed station.

In other business, the board:

4Voted to ask the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality whether or not it would be safe to lease city land formerly used as oxidation ponds.

4Voted to request the state highway department and energy company to do a survey of street lighting in town. Councilman Johnnie Brown expressed concern that the streets were dark and might endanger pedestrians at night.

4Introduced an ordinance for burning vegetative debris, since the permit used after hurricanes Katrina and Rita has expired. The ordinance will be addressed at the next council meeting.

4Passed a resolution to possibly locate a veterans’ home clinic in Ferriday.