Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By: Donnamy Steele

On Mon., May 18, the Opp City Council held a meeting to discuss possible abatements. The City Building Inspector reported two cases of public nuisances to the City Council.

Per the Council, a building owned by William Joe McClain and located at 810 Florala Highway is unsafe to the extent that it is a public nuisance. The building’s structure is considered very unsafe. The roof of the building is falling in and is reported as very dangerous. The interior of the building is also deemed as hazardous as the ceiling has also fallen in.

After debating shortly with the Council, the Mayor then decided to allow the owner of the property thirty days to request a public hearing. If a public hearing is not requested, nor if the owner does not remedy the nuisance, the Council wants to tear the building down.

The Council then moved to discuss Resolution 2020-14, where another city building is considered past redemption. The building, owned by Michael and Jane Garsee, is located at 607 E. Stewart Avenue. The building is considered unsafe to the extent that it is a public nuisance by the Council.

The building has extensive fire and water damage to the structure and the rear of the building, according to the City Building Inspector. The City Building Inspector explains that the “fire gutted rear rooms” and there is evident “smoke damage throughout” the remainder of the building. The height of the weeds and grass on the property are also becoming a problem according to the Inspector’s checklist.

Bracke explained that the building has become an “eyesore” and the Council unanimously agrees to abate the building. The owners of the property have thirty days after a copy of the Resolution 2020-14 is mailed out to request a public hearing.

The Opp City Council also discussed the following topics at the meeting:

Jack’s is still a go. The Mayor confirmed that, although the process has been paused, the franchise is still expected to start in the summer.

The Mayor asks residents to be patient as the trash pick-up continues. The City workers are currently working two hours of overtime per day for the debris pick-up.

The City of Opp is still conserving water after recent rain showers. Although the rain helped, the city will continue conserving water as scheduled. The community is encouraged to run water abiding by the current schedule: Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays are reserved for houses with even numbers, while Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays are for houses with odd numbers.

The Council sends congratulations to the 2020 Opp High School graduates as they attend their commencement ceremony this week.

The city-wide curfew has also been lifted as of Mon., May 18.

“The City shall give notice by mailing a copy of this resolution, in accordance with Section Section 10-82 to the last known owner shown in the Revenue Commissioners Office giving the owner thirty (30) days after mailing of the notice to remedy the nuisance or suffer the building to be demolished by the City and costs incurred in said abatement, including administrative costs, assessed against the property and charged to the wonder, unless the owner requests a hearing before the City Council within thirty (30) days as specified on accordance with Section 10-83 of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Opp, Alabama.”