County Will Clean Up Property At Boat Landing
Neighbors filed a petition in April requesting the county clean up this property, located at 33 Pat Drive. During a public hearing on June 22, supervisors agreed the property was a threat to public health and safety and voted to clean it up. A private contractor will be hired for the job and the cost assessed to the owner’s property taxes.
By David Howell
Editor
A third property owner in the Water Valley Boat Landing Community has been ordered to clean up his property or the county will do it for him. The order came during the June 22 board meeting after supervisors deemed that property located at 33 Pat Drive owned by Wade Stewart was in such a state of uncleanliness that it is a nuisance to the public health, safety and welfare of the community.
The action was taken during a public hearing with Stewart present after a petition was filed in the chancery clerk’s office by neighboring property owners requesting the cleanup. This marks the third petition the county has received this year after Board Attorney John Crow explained back in March that the county could take action to clean up private property in certain cases. Citing Section 19-5-105 of Mississippi Code, Crow explained that supervisors could act upon a petition from the public or on their own accord to clean up property by cutting weeds, filling cisterns, removing rubbish or dilapidated fences. As part of the procedure, Crow explained the property owner must be notified and evidence must be weighed in a hearing before supervisors take action.
During the hearing Stewart told supervisors he was working to clean up his property, but also explained that he had health problems.
“That is one of the reasons why it got to that point,” Stewart added.
During a break in the hearing, three supervisors visited Stewart’s property to view it before making a decision.
“It’s rough,” District 2 Ken Rogers, an opinion that was shared by District 4 Supervisor Tim Booker and District 3 Supervisor Lee McMinn after the inspection. Pictures viewed during the meeting showed piles of debris including couches, furniture, blocks, wood and garbage and inoperable vehicles.
The property is located in McMinn’s district and he made the motion for the county to clean up the property, a cost that will be added to Stewart’s property taxes. A unanimous vote followed and McMinn agreed to allow Stewart two more weeks before the county hires a contractor for job.
“Mr. Stewart, I will share with you that this is the absolute worst position that the board wants to be in,” Board President Cayce Washington explained. “But a complaint has been filed and we are forced to take action.”
