During a recent meeting of the Lynch City Council, Mayor Johnny Adams updated council members on city projects now in process. He said a sewer rehabilitation project is under way and progress is being made on cleaning up a burned structure in the city limits.
“I got a letter from Leo Miller and Associates on March 28 saying the total bid for the PRIDE 531 Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation Project was $186,327 plus engineering fees of approximately $23,000,” said Adams. “They will be doing everything from constructing manholes to sewer main — to removing manholes. Work has begun on the project. This is not going to cost the city anything.”
Adams said some of the sewer lines will be relined and some will have to be replaced because of things such as trees roots getting into the lines and partially breaking them.
“I had our city clerk Erica (Eldridge) type up a letter and send to the Margaret Puente family about the burned out residence on West Main Street,” said Adams. “We have given them 30 days to clean up the structure. I found an old ordinance, which says the city can charge $50 per day after the 30 days expires, but I can’t find a signed copy. However, Kentucky Revised Statutes has a dilapidated structure section and we can use that in this case instead of the city ordinance.”
Councilman Bennie Massey said the city needs to pass another ordinance charging residents who let burned out structures sit for days, months and even years.
“We need people to do something about these burned out houses and cleaning up their yards,” said Massey. “People have insurance and when they get their money then they are just gone — just leaving the burned out houses sitting.”
Adams said the same problem exists across the county. He said the city of Lynch can’t afford to hire an attorney to take action on these people. He added he hopes he can get some advice and help from the county attorney on how to handle this situation.
“Harlan County Solid Waste Supervisor Lakis Mavinidis told me he has most of the dumps cleaned up around the county and now he will take that money to clean up some of these dilapidated homes,” said Adams. “When he’s going to start I don’t know. I went around and got a list of the dilapidated homes and their last known owners and gave it to the county. It’s been a while and I haven’t heard anything more on this. I guess we’ll have to compose a letter and send it to the last known addresses of the property owners ourselves and use the ordinance we have that has a $50 per day fine in it. That way we can take them to court and proceed from there.”
In other council actions:
*Motion passed allowing the mayor to let volunteers clean out the old clinic building;
*Police Chief Mike Nunley told council his department received a $500 grant from Walmart to purchase equipment;
*Approved donating old high school theatre seats to Mark Hudack;
*Approved a Hazard Mitigation Resolution;
*A ribbon cutting/open house was set at 1 p.m. on April 25 at the grand opening of the newly renovated Fire House in Lynch;
*Purchased 16 red and white dogwood trees, which were planted in and around city hall through a $500 grant.
Reach Nola Sizemore at 606-573-4510, ext. 115, nsizemore@civitasmedia.com
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