The Pulaski County Commissioners will be assessing a fine for a building that collapsed in Monterey.
The Commissioners acted as the “hearing authority” for the Town of Monterey – which is required under state statute before additional steps can be taken – for the former Sportsman’s Bar and Grill. The building collapsed in April of this year, but ensuring proper clean-up has proven a laborious task.
County Building Inspector Dave Dare says his office has done its due diligence in notifying the owner throughout the process.
“It’s quite obvious that the building is pretty much demolished, there’s still some remains left that need to be removed, and the whole debris has to be taken out,” says Dare.
A fence has been constructed around debris at the site. Testing for asbestos was also conducted – which provided a positive result – but is considered contained at this time.
The former Sportsman’s Bar and Grill was sold during a tax auction, but insufficient time has passed to petition for, and transfer ownership.
The current owner whom, according to county officials, does not believe she is responsible for the property, has been in contact with Dare. No indication has allegedly been shown that the owner intends to clean-up the site.
County Attorney Kevin Tankersley says if the government intends to foot the bill, discussions with other bodies may be in order.
“I mean this is just my opinion, but you’re not necessarily under any obligation to jump and pay the bill for some property owner that refuses to do so,” says Tankersely.
The Pulaski County Commissioners not only assessed a $5-thousand fine that may be payable after a 30-day waiting period, but also okayed a “continuous enforcement order” that reaffirms the site be cleaned by the owner.
The owner does have the right to request additional time to prepare a plan for site clean-up. Pulaski County officials say debris removal and other safety measures could run anywhere between $10-thousand and $20-thousand.
