Eureka on improvement - Wayne-Wilson News Leader, Fremont, NC

13 December 2007 – As crews wrap up the final pieces of the sewer project in Eureka, the board has already begun discussing its next project to improve the town.

After Doug Booth and Malcom Finlay were sworn in as new commissioners at last week’s meeting, the board got right down to business.

Mayor Steve Howell started the meeting by telling the board that, since the sewer was finished, they were planning to start a different project – this one focused on improving the visible aspects of the town.

Mr. Howell told the board he would like for the town to improve its scenery by getting rid of several dilapidated structures. The first step, he said, was establishing a minimum housing code for the town.

“Once we have the code,” he said, “we decide if the house or structure meets our criteria to be demolished.”

He suggested that the town look at the minimum housing code Fremont had written, and use that as a basis for writing their own.

“We can add or take out, write it so that it works for us,” he said.

He said that once the town has identified whether a structure in question does or does not meet minimum housing codes, the county will then contract with the town for an hourly fee to inspect the structures and condemn those that don’t meet minimum housing codes.

He said the town would likely start with several vacant buildings adjacent to the town hall property, and would branch out from there.

Mr. Howell added that, as the town is in the beginning stages of the process, he would like to notify the owners of the first properties that they are working on a minimum housing code, and that their properties are first on the list.

He cited one building that he said he knows the owner still works from, saying that hopefully once the towns sends the letter, the owner will fix up the structure and the town won’t have to contract out to the county.

Mr. Howell said he was hoping that most of the owners would follow suit.

“I really think if we let them know, they’ll hopefully do something about it,” he said.

The board expressed general support for the motion, and will begin working on a minimum housing code.

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Issue of 13 December 2007

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