Nuisance Properties Remain

By MARK EVANS

STE. GENEVIEVE HERALD

Nuisance properties were addressed during the Ste. Genevieve Board of Aldermen’s regular meeting last Thursday night.

Lori Figge spoke during the public comment session and lambasted the city leaders for what she felt was inaction on their part. A South Gabouri Street resident for 17 years, she complained about a mobile home on Seventh Street, off of the Jaycee hall parking lot.

“I’m sure everyone in this room knows the trailer I’m talking about and knows who owns that trailer,” she said. “There is trash, broken cars, dumped tires, pallets, and I could go on and on about the mess.”

She said several vehicles with no plates or expires plates litter the property.

She said she has talked to officials who have said they would speak to the owner of the trailer. However, she repeated more than once that, “nothing gets done.”

She has since bought a property on Seventh Street and believes her next-door neighbor has been stealing items from her property.

“I do not understand why it needs to be an ongoing struggle with the city, to help us,” she said.

She said there were several other places in town that “just keep getting worse,” including a trailer court on 10th Street. She said she assumed such things would not be tolerated within the historic district. She also complained about potholes.

She also wondered why large trucks allowed to park in that neighborhood.

The board is not able to respond to statements or questions made during public comment times.

Ward 2 Alderman Bob Donovan said he was “embarrassed” by the situation.

“I wouldn’t mind being known as the city with the strictest policies,” he said. “I think we owe it to everybody to do that and do it as a priority.”

City Attorney Mark Bishop warned that a discussion on the issue could not take place, since it was not on the agenda. He said it could be added to the agenda for the next meeting. He also noted that nuisance ordinances are in the process of being updated.

“The city is working on it,” he said.

Ward 4 Alderwoman Ashley Armbruster asked if they could get a copy of the language of the most recent ordinances that dealt with cars on private property.

Bishop warned them that there are “some limitations” to do what a governing board can make a citizen do with his/her property.

He said he would be “prepared to give you a whole bunch of options” next meeting, in dealing with the issue.