McMinnville Planning and Zoning could be getting a new director and $40,000 to remove dilapidated houses.
The two items are included in the department’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2015-16 and discussed during a Building and Grounds Committee meeting with members Aldermen Steve Harvey and Ryle Chastain. Ben Newman was absent.
“There is money in this budget for a new director,” said city administrator Bill Brock, who presented the budget.
When asked if the city would be looking for an individual with a background in geographic information system (GIS), Brock added, “I hope he is but the last time it failed flatter than a pancake when we tried that. I hope we can find someone with a little GIS background.”
Jason Blalock was hired as a supervisor in the department on Jan. 5 and he resigned slightly more than two months later on March 13. The department hasn’t had a director since the departure of Jim Brock in 2010 when he accepted an early retirement package offered by the city as a cost-saving measure. Currently, Josh Baker is interim manager over the department but he is only part time.
The budget had a $10,000 line item for solid waste disposal, which is for removing dilapidated houses within the city.
City attorney Tim Pirtle says that’s a low number.
“You only have $10,000 in there for that? That’s really low. We’ve got half a dozen, at least three or four, structures that really need to come down. We’ve got at least four meth quarantine and unfit structures that are in city court right now. That $10,000 isn’t going to touch what we need to do in terms of getting rid of those structures.”
If the city takes a property owner to court for an unfit structure and wins, the judge gives the city the right to go onto the property and remove the building. After removal, a lien is placed on the property to recoup the city’s cost. In some cases, the cost is more than the property is worth and rights to the property revert to the city.
There is a large house in Mt. Leo that could ultimately become property of the city. It was the site of the manufacture of meth and it will cost $8,000 to remediate.
“We’ve gotten rid of two in the last six months because people stepped up and bought them, but we’ve got no less than four that have been standing for a long time and the neighbors have been complaining to Josh (Baker) for a long time. It’s a safety and health issue. They are just sitting there for the next meth lab. The lowest bid that Josh got to remediate the meth quarantine on the Higginbotham Road house, which is public enemy No. 1, is $8,000. That’s for that house alone. We’ve got at least four, other than Higginbotham, that are meth quarantine.”
Committee members increased the line item to $40,000. 
Members unanimously approved the proposed budget and sent it to the Finance Committee for its consideration.