The city of St. Joseph will soon hire a new code enforcement officer, and officials hope that will make it easier to address the matter of blighted homes. Several weeks ago, a group of residents complained, in particular, about the home at 907 Wayne Street. The owner has been ticketed, and the city’s building inspector says he’s fixed some of the problems there. Mayor Mike Garey tells us the city has to respect property rights while ensuring standards are met in the community.
“We do have a few owners who have been very difficult to work with,” Garey said. “We had to follow the legal process, but the best thing is that we will soon be hiring a new property and maintenance code employee, and we’re looking at hiring a part time individual for the summer to also help him. So, we can really get on top of this.”
The same owner of the property at 907 Wayne owns several other homes in town that have been the cause of complaints. Some city commissioners have urged stronger action on getting such owners into compliance. It’s hoped the new enforcement officer will help.
