City lauded for home demo efforts
By BENJAMIN C. SHARP bensharp@journal-spectator.com

The Wharton City Council received a pat on the back recently for its efforts in improving area neighborhoods by removing dilapidated houses.

During the public comment portion of last week's meeting, Wharton resident Ellis Hurd thanked council for supporting a program to clean up the city by demolishing so-called "substandard" homes.

Hurd particularly singled out City Building Official Ronnie Bollom and code enforcement officer Jim Nickolyn for their part in identifying these homes and starting the process of having the structures repaired or torn down.

"I appreciate the work of Mr. Nickolyn and Mr. Bollom for getting that done. We needed it," Hurd told council.

Last year, the city demolished 15 homes that did not meet local building code. According to Bollom, some of the homes were unintentionally neglected, with owners who live out of state being unaware of the structures' worsening conditions. Others have local owners who simply neglected to take care of their property.

Regardless of the reasons behind the decrepit conditions, city officials have maintained that it's a priority to have the homes improved or demolished. That will create not only a more aesthetically desirable community, but a safer one too, Bollom said.

Such homes "make the neighborhood look bad," Bollom said in an earlier interview. "We have a lot of people that are very appreciative to us for doing this."

In some cases, the city undertakes the demolition itself. Cost is usually around $2,500. A bill is sent to the owner and a lien is placed on the property.

Cleaning up the community doesn't stop with tearing down unsightly homes, though. Hurd also thanked the council for removing debris and refuse from West End neighborhoods. He said the trash was picked up quickly after a citizen called it in.

Hurd believes more citizen involvement - coupled with a council action - will be the recipe for success in beautifying the city.

"It's not an easy chore, but we're going to make it anyway," he said. "We want to keep it going."