Council targets substandard buildings in city

The Moulton city council discussed several city ordinances and approved one of them at its regular monthly meeting held Tuesday, Dec. 12.

The first ordinance, approved by council at the Dec. 12 meeting, dealt with substandard buildings and the abatement of those buildings.

This ordinance is pertaining to vacant structures and substandard buildings. It’s an update to a previous ordinance,” city administrator LuAnn Rogers said. “There’s a lot that goes into trying to rectify these things. We have notices that we have to give to the property owners in certain time periods to correct those issues. It’s a process that people must go through, and it can be rather lengthy.”

Fines for this ordinance range from $50 up to $2,000 for each offence, all depending on the size and condition of the infraction.

Substandard houses ns outbuildings are considered safety hazards, according to the ordinance. The council determined them as detrimental to the” health, safety, and welfare of the city” and thereby “creates a public nuisance.”

The notices provide 90 days for homeowners to repair, remove, or otherwise tear down problem structures.

The second ordinance, which was tabled, concerns RVs in the city.

“Really what this is about is people not being able to live in RVs on their property,” Rogers said. “There’s an RV park here in Moulton and residents can use that. Council reviewed it in case there are any changes that need to be made.”

In other business:

• Council approved a change order to a city grant project that’s already under way for improved drainage systems along South Pecan Street. The project is part of a federally-funded grant administered by the Texas General Land Office that was awarded to Moulton in 2021.

• City leaders signed off on an agreement with the Moulton Cemetery Association to use part of their property as a burn pile. Council proposed crafting some new rules on what types of items residents may dispose of there, but cemetery board members didn’t take any action on those.

• The Moulton Chamber of Commerce requested funds from the city’s hotel occupancy tax fund to update the float they take to various events in other cities to promote Moulton. Council agreed to contribute between $2,500 and $5,000 toward the project.