Corbin City Commission votes to foreclose on four blighted homes

The Corbin City Commission has authorized City Attorney Bob Hammons to begin foreclosure proceedings on three homes on which public works employees have been keeping the lawns mowed for several years at a cost of more than $10,000.

This house on Fifth Street is one of three properties the City of Corbin is foreclosing upon to recoup maintenance costs the city has incurred for mowing overgrown grass.

At the regular city commission meeting Monday night, Code Enforcement Officer Mike Mahan asked the commission to have Hammons move forward with the proceedings on 170 King Street, 815 Fourth Street, and 1015 Fifth Street.

Mahan said while the three structures are in decent shape, the city is currently owed $3,600 on the King Street property, $2,000 on the Fourth Street property, and $5,600 on the Fifth Street property.

“We are getting no cooperation,” Mahan said of the property owners, noting the city has been mowing Fifth Street since 2015, and the others since 2017.

Mahan said foreclosing and forcing the sale of the properties would also keep the properties from falling further into disrepair, eventually leaving the city no alternative but to demolish them.

Mahan also requested money to demolish the property at 316 Eighth Street.

“A tree has grown through the house,” Mahan said explaining that the property owner has died and the family said it is unable to do anything about the structure.

In other business, the commissioners:

• Approved the hiring of Bill Elliotte, James Pace and Bill Rose as school resource officers for Corbin Schools for the 2019-20 school year.
• Approved a motion to name James Ridener as the Chief Corbin Dispatcher.
• Authorized City Manager Marlon Sams to submit a request for proposal for a new dispatch system. Corbin Police Chief Rusty Hedrick said the existing system is out of date, and the new system will permit officers to use their in-car computers to run tags and driver’s license, and print citations. The new system was included in the new city budget.

• Authorized the city manager to bid to purchase a new leaf truck. Sams said the existing truck has reached the point where it can no longer be repaired and must be replaced.

• Approved an ordinance establishing Third Street between Depot Street and Kentucky Ave. as one way. Under the terms of the ordinance, traffic will flow east from Kentucky Ave., across Main Street, and to Depot Street. Motorists parking in the municipal lot behind Season’s Restaurant will be required to turn right upon exiting the lot, and then turn onto Depot Street.