The Pulaski County Commissioners got an update Monday on the County Building Department’s 2016 activities.
Building Inspector Doug Hoover said he doesn’t have any year-to-year comparisons, due to the fact that he started in the position in February, but he’s confident the number of building permits is going up. “I see a lot of growth coming here,” he said. “I see a lot more people starting to build, and that’s good for our county.”
During his report, Hoover also discussed efforts to expand the county’s blight elimination effort. “It is a government grant, and they gave us $147,000 to help demolish abandoned houses and all that,” he explained.
He said the grant requires the county to partner with a nonprofit organization to revitalize the properties. “This person gives up this property, we get this money, help tear it town,” he said. “We give it to Habitat for Humanity because they’re our program partners, and they can do whatever they want to it after. But they have to maintain it. They can sell it. They can build a house on it, whatever it may be.”
Now, Hoover’s looking for churches, clubs, and other organizations willing to undertake similar partnerships with the county.
