MENTONE - Mentone Town Council met with two property owners Monday night in hopes to improve homes that were characterized by the board as "eyesores".
With the town board serving as a sort of jury, town attorney Larry Beeson questioned the town's building commissioner Marv Wiggins about the two properties while the owners of the lands in question also were allowed to question Wiggins.The first property, owned by Richard Surface, is at 123 E. Main St., Mentone. Wiggins stated the home has deterioration on the bricks, and the foundation in one corner of the building had settled.
Windows on the property also were boarded up, according to Wiggins. Wiggins said he was in the home several years ago and the inside needed work.
"How did you get in there?" Surface asked.
"The door was open," said Wiggins.
Surface blamed medical issues as to why no work on the home had been done.
Surface and town board member Jack Simpson had several heated exchanges.
Surface stated he believed that Simpson wanted to take over the property and use it for parking for businesses he owns in downtown Mentone.
"I don't want to see this building torn down," said Simpson. "And this town has enough parking lots. I want it to look acceptable."
"It's an eyesore," said town councilwoman Jill Gross. "I want it cleaned up. I won't even walk on the sidewalk near there."
After further questioning, the board decided to give Surface 30 days to come up with a plan to improve his property and then 60 days to get the plan started. The board stated that if Surface didn't make improvements in that time, they would start the process of demolishing the building with the cost going to Surface.
The second property the board looked at was at 412 W. Main St., and is owned by the estate of Mary Tridle.
Wiggins said the building was off its foundation and that he didn't believe the roof was structurally sound.
Tridle's son, Eddy Tridle, claimed he didn't believe the home was off its foundation and the home was "ready to be lived in right now."
The board discussed having the town and the Tridles bring in separate home inspectors to come to a consensus on the condition of the home.
Though specifics weren't revealed, the Tridle estate is involved in a lawsuit with another party over ownership of the land. The pending lawsuit, said the Tridle party, is a factor in why the home hasn't been worked on.
Tridle told the board he had a crew ready to work on the home.
"We don't want anybody working on the home," said town councilman Tim Croy. "If we have to, we'll have Marv come over and put up a stop-work order."
Tridle insisted that he felt confident the lawsuit would be ruled in his favor and repeatedly told the board he was going to have crews work on the home.
"Why would you want to spend a dime on a place that you don't even know if it's going to be yours?" asked Gross.
The board told Tridle that all they wanted done to the property was for the grounds to be taken care of until the lawsuit was settled.
The board set March 1 as the date to proceed with any further ruling on the home.
Mentone Town Marshal Jim Eads informed the board that he and Mentone Police Officer Terry Engstrand went to training in Joliet, Ill., for commercial vehicle interdiction. Eads stated the class was free and both he and Engstrand received tool kits valued at $150.
Mentone Utility Superintendent Eric Carlin requested and was approved to purchase a laptop for records in his capacity as new cemetery sexton.
The board also adopted the town's 2009 budget, adopted an ordinance for additional appropriations, accepted minutes from the August meeting and accepted ordinance for trash collection.
The board also accepted the resignation of cemetery board sexton Eric Secrist as of Sept. 1.
James M. Oden thanked the town for the use of a park to hold a retirement party for his father, James R. Oden.
