Properties deemed hazardous

 

The Albert Lea City Council on Monday approved orders for removal of six hazardous properties in the city.

The properties had been previously placarded by the city.

The orders give the property owners 30 days to raze or repair the buildings in question, and if that is not done, the city can motion for summary enforcement of the order in Freeborn County District Court, allowing them to remove the structures and assess the cost of doing so to the property.

The properties were at 210 E. Third St., 705 Madison Ave., 714 Pillsbury Ave., 718 Columbus Ave., 912 Autumn St. and 938 Jefferson Ave. None of the houses were occupied.

Wayne Sorensen, the city’s building official, presented more in-depth information about the six addresses during the council’s work session prior to the regular meeting, informing the council about the city’s involvement in the properties in the last few years and the deficiencies at each.

Sorensen said the first property, at 210 E. Third St., is a garage that has a failing and unstable roof with missing glass and boarded up windows, loose and deteriorated trim, and falling and deteriorated garage doors.

The second property, at 705 Madison Ave., includes both a house and a garage.

Sorensen said the house has a compromised foundation, unsafe steps and landing, damaged or missing siding, damaged roofing, soffit and fascia, rotting windows and trim and damaged or missing glass in windows. He said the garage has damaged or missing siding and soffit and fascia and is rotted and deteriorating.

Sorensen said the property was placarded in 2008 and again in 2019, and an order for removal was previously granted in September 2013 but was later dropped after the owner came in with a repair plan.

The owner, who has had the property since 2000, spoke during the meeting, indicating he had been working off and on at the property and had run into repeated vandalism and theft of tools and other supplies. He said his wife got sick with cancer, and that set them back financially from fixing the house, but he now has the means to make the necessary repairs to the house and hopes to eventually move there with his wife from their current house on Water Street.

Albert Lea Mayor Vern Rasmussen Jr. asked the owner what his intended time frame was for the repairs.

City Attorney Kelly Martinez said he would probably have between 90 and 120 days in total before the court could approve the summary judgement, and the owner said he thought that seemed feasible for completing most of the work.

Several of the councilors indicated city staff would be willing to work with him on the repairs if he showed significant progress in the window before the court judgment would be passed, but they felt it was necessary to still move forward with the process in the meantime in case repairs aren’t made.

The third property, at 714 Pillsbury Ave., a garage and house, had previously been authorized by the council for removal in 2017 and was most recently placarded in January 2019.

It had numerous deficiencies, including an unsafe front porch, framing issues, a leaning brick chimney, nonexistent basement stairs and it needed replacement of the wood foundation, among others.

Sorensen said the property was essentially gutted and disconnected from gas, electric and water services.

He said the owner had shown some progress in the last few weeks, including placing larger posts to hold up the porch, taking down the leaning chimney and framing up the addition on the back of the house.

The fourth property, at 718 Columbus Ave., was reportedly left to the current owner as part of an estate. Sorensen said the owner, who lives in Wisconsin, stated he had no intent to repair the structure.

It included a compromised foundation, damaged or missing siding, soffit and fascia, rotting windows and trim and disconnecting utilities. The structure is unoccupied and unsecured.

The fifth property, at 912 Autumn St., is a failing garage structure, Sorensen said, and is in imminent danger of collapsing.

The final property, at 938 Jefferson Ave., is a residence and garage that has owners based in Ohio.

It has a compromised foundation, damaged and missing siding, rotting window trim, damaged windows and disconnected utilities, among others.

Rasmussen asked Sorensen during the workshop how he will decide whether to work with a property owner or move forward with an order.

Sorensen said he would put a lot of weight on that owner’s track record. If someone can show him what their plans are and then keep on working toward that goal, the city could draw back from an abatement.

“There’s nobody in my staff, or really in the city, that’s trying to tear down houses,” he said.

Sorensen said the structures that came down in 2019 were at the expense of the owners, though the city does have money in its budget each year to remove hazardous structures.

In other action, the council:

• Accepted the feasibility report and called a public hearing for the reconstruction of a portion of Clark Street for Feb. 24. The project calls for reconstructing the road, underground utilities and sidewalk to meet state and federal aid standards between First Avenue and Ermina Avenue.

• Approved a resolution authorizing submission of the city’s pay equity implementation report to the Minnesota Department of Management and Budget. Cities, counties and school districts are required to do so every three years as required by state law to eliminate discrimination against women who are paid less than men for jobs requiring comparable levels of expertise.

• Appointed election judges for the March 3 presidential nomination primary election.

• Approved an application for funding through the Minnesota Secretary of State to purchase 14 electronic rosters to be used at the seven voting precincts within the city.

According to background information provided by City Manager David Todd, the electronic rosters would replace the paper rosters and would allow for more accurate voting history, convenience to the voter, as well as additional security. They are designed to alert election judges if a pre-registered voter already voted by absentee or at an alternate polling place.

• Amended the fee schedule as a result of licensed veterinarians adopting the Minnesota Board of Veterinary Medicine recommendations to vaccinate every three years. The fee schedule will coincide with the vaccination period and change the animal licensing requirement from every two years to every three years.

• Approved the replacement of a 2009 Kubota RTV utility vehicle used by the Parks Department. It is being replaced with a Bobcat 5600. Total price for the unit and attachments is about 63,000 with a trade.

• Granted a variance request from John and Richard Miller to allow a lot smaller than 50 feet after property at 1916-1920 Lakewood Ave. is divided into two parcels. 

• Went into closed session about the sale of city property.

Other details were not provided other than that the council gave direction to staff to move forward.