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<br />City of CenterviUe <br />July 24, 2002 <br />Council Meeting Minutes <br /> <br />City Attorney Hoeft asked if the residence is used as a homestead. Council Member <br />Nelson indicated that it is. <br /> <br />City Attorney Hoeft indicated it would be even more difficult for a judge to order the <br />razing of someone's homestead. He then asked if the person was elderly. Council <br />Member Nelson indicated that the individual is elderly. <br /> <br />City Attorney Hoeft indicated that all of those factors would be taken into consideration. <br />He then asked if anyone had talked to her about the matter. <br /> <br />Ms. Moore-Sykes indicated the City Clerk had been in contact with the property owner <br />via telephone and has been out to the property but has not been inside the home. She <br />then said that the individual is leery of strangers but does trust certain City Staff <br />, <br /> <br />Council Member Nelson indicated the county has said that you cannot force someone to <br />accept helpifthey do not want it. <br /> <br />Council Member Capra indicated that trash and rodents would be a health hazard. <br /> <br />City Attorney Hoeft indicated the City has the authority to take certain steps to make sure <br />the property is not a health hazard and if that entails getting permission to get in there and <br />clean then the City can obtain an administrative search warrant that gives the City the <br />authority to go in and check on the welfare of the occupant and the status of the property <br />to determine if there is a health risk. <br /> <br />Council Member Nelson said she thinks the City needs to do that because she thinks the <br />inside is so packed with stuff that there is no more room inside and things are being put <br />outside. <br /> <br />Council Member Broussard Vickers asked if the City could get help from the County <br />Health Department ifthe home is not fit for habitation. <br /> <br />City Attorney Hoeft indicated the City's building official does have the authority to make <br />a determination of whether the structure is fit for habitation. He then said he is working <br />on a hazardous building action in another City but no one is living in that one. <br /> <br />Council Member Nelson asked how the building inspector was to obtain access to the <br />property. City Attorney Hoeft indicated that the building inspector could view the <br />property from the street or a neighboring property but the City would need to obtain an <br />administrative search warrant to check the inside ofthe home. <br /> <br />Council Member Broussard Vickers indicated she would like to have the property <br />checked inside and out and cleaned up inside and out and assess the costs to the property <br />because once the property is sold the City would be paid back. <br /> <br />Page 12 of22 <br />