Cairo officials discuss nuisance options

Local News

September 2, 2010

Teresa Williams CNHI The Times Enterprise Thu Sep 02, 2010, 08:42 PM EDT

THOMASVILLE — The City of Cairo is working on its nuisance abatement process.

The Cairo City Council discussed nuisance concerns at a recent meeting and it was suggested the city’s Nuisance Abatement Ordinance be enforced in a timelier manner and strengthened, if needed, officials said.

“We’ve been doing nuisance abatement for a long time, but it has been going at a slower pace and we are looking at ways to speed it up and expand it somewhat,” Mayor Richard VanLandingham said.

“We’re trying to follow the ordinance already in place in the city. We’ve been dealing with this, but we’ve got to become a little more aggressive.”

City Manager Chris Addleton said discussion began with concerns about high grass in unused lots and the sometimes lengthy process from determining who is responsible for such properties to going through the entire nuisance abatement procedure.

Councilman Jimmy Douglas said he drives by areas every day, particularly along U.S. 84 and its surrounding streets, that are in need of nuisance abatement work. He said many of these properties may belong to folks that live out-of-town and don’t maintain them.

“I want people to ride through our town and see how clean it is, that the grass is mowed and kept up,” Douglas said. “I don’t want a person’s first impression of Cairo when they ride by is of grass three or four feet high.”

Addleton said the city tries to work with property owners that are making good faith efforts to clean up their lots, but added there are a lot of properties the city needs to pursue.

“We really need to take inventories of substandard properties,” he said. “It was suggested we focus on high travel corridors, like state highways, and high visibility areas and address those first.”

VanLandingham said the city would be looking in both commercial and some key residential areas.

“The main things I’m interested in are property values, as well as how these nuisances can have a negative impact on moving business into the Cairo area and safety issues,” he said.

Addleton said the city will likely start more toward the commercial end. It will take inventory and begin the procedure of identifying ownership and moving through the abatement process.

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Cairo officials discuss nuisance options

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