Marion City Council looks into demolishing nuisance properties

The Marion City Council is looking into demolishing nuisance properties in the city.

At their meeting on Monday night, Councilman Stanley Kennie said he was concerned about a burned building at 902 Washington Street and others agreed, asking the city attorney what can be done to demolish the home.

City Attorney Jasmine Jackson told the council that no action can be taken until the fire investigation is complete. 

“If they are actively being investigated, people cannot get rid of it,” she said. 

Mayor Dexter Hinton said he had contacted the fire marshal and the Attorney General’s office but had not received a response. 

Once cleared, the city can begin the nuisance abatement process, which includes certified letters and a waiting period of 60-90 days.

That prompted the council to discuss demolition procedures for other nuisance properties. Jackson advised members to send addresses and concerns to her and the clerk so the legal process can begin.

The council also addressed improvements to facilities.

The Marion jail remains closed and Councilman Kennie asked where city inmates are being housed in the meantime. The mayor said inmates are being placed in Marengo, Jefferson and Bibb counties depending on available space. “There is no set date on when our jail is going to open back up,” he said.

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The council then approved a $3,000 expenditure to repair three bathrooms at City Hall and the depot. The work will be funded through community development money. “They have been broke long enough,” Kennie said before making the motion.

Mayor Hinton gave updates on major infrastructure projects. Water meter applications have been submitted to ADEM, lift station equipment is being ordered and traffic signal repairs downtown are awaiting materials. He also reminded members that grant funded projects must meet strict payment timelines. “It is very important that those signatures are done when they do our audit,” he said.

In other business, the council approved its share of the cost to upgrade E911 radios. The city will pay $3,510 as part of a multi-agency effort to replace radios that do not record calls. “We want those calls to be recorded,” the mayor said. “It is an urgent matter to get it as soon as possible.”

The Cahaba Mental Health Board notified the city that its appointee can no longer serve. The council will bring forward replacement names at a future meeting.

Like previous meetings with the latest Marion City Council members, the June 1 meeting included confusion about basic procedures of municipal government.

Council members asked when they can raise old business, leading to a lengthy exchange about agendas, updates and procedure.

Councilwoman Ann LaCroix said she believed several items from the previous four-hour meeting should have carried over. “There were some on the new business that I thought should be brought over tonight for the old business,” she said. Hinton reminded members that the agenda is reserved for action items and that general updates belong in the mayor’s report. “If you have a question, you just ask the question,” he said. “Updates do not have to be on the agenda.”

The council unanimously approved the minutes from the May 18 meeting after brief questions about payroll records and outstanding checks. The mayor agreed to provide council members with payroll totals without employee names.

The next regular meeting is set for June 15.