City votes to demolish unsafe homes

The city council voted Tuesday night to move forward with the demolition of several structures that have been deemed unsafe in Jennings.

Many of the property owners appeared before the council and were given a final 90 days to finish repairs or to complete the demolition of the unsafe structures on their properties. However, there were two structures that the council condemned after the property owners failed to clean up properties or make repairs in a timely manner.

One of the homes, located on Norwood Drive, is still currently occupied by the owner Betty Leblanc, who attended the meeting Tuesday night.

Leblanc told council members that she has had trouble getting a contractor to make repairs to her roof due to inclement weather. According to Leblanc, the roof damage initially occurred in 2005 during Hurricane Rita.

“The property is not unsafe. It is only the roof that needs repairs,” Leblanc told council members. “This is my home, that is where I live.”

City inspector Phil Arceneaux said a third party was hired to assess the home, which currently has no running water or sewage.

“We had a third party look at the house and they said it was unlivable, the house is in disarray,” he said. “She shouldn’t live there, and we are worried about her health.”

Dist. B Councilman Johnny Armentor said the city has given Leblanc over a year to complete the repairs. “You have had ample time, but at this point in time we need to move forward with the demo.”

Mayor Henry Guinn said the structure is affecting the property values of neighboring homeowners.

Council President Stevie Van Hook said that the city only voted to demolish the structure after exhausting all resources.

“This is a very unfortunate situation,” Van Hook said. “In all my years I can only think of one other time where were had to have an occupant leave. We have tried for over a year to help her, offering her resources and connecting her with church groups or anyone that could help. I know beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but this is strictly a safety issue. The last thing we are in the business of doing is moving someone out of their house. We have been extremely patient and we feel that this is our last resort.”

The council ultimately condemned the property at 1025 Norwood Drive Tuesday, with Dist. A Councilwoman Carolyn Simon abstaining.

The council also approved the demolition of another property located at 1018 State Street. Arceneaux said the property was adjudicated to both the parish and the city. He said that the city owns 21 percent of the property and the parish owns the other 79 percent.

“This property has constantly been a problem and I have sent many notices,” Arceneaux said. “This property was previously occupied by (a late resident) and this was where they found him (deceased). There is still an odor coming from the structure.”

City attorney Kevin Millican said the parish had already voted to demolish the property, which sits near Cutting Park. However, the parish proposed that the city incur the cost of demolition and cleanup with the understanding that 100 percent of the funds recouped in the sale of the property would go back to the city.

Despite the shared ownership of the property, the mayor urged the council to move forward with the demolition and cover the costs entirely.

“For the sake of beautification, I would vote that we demolish and clean up the property, “ said Guinn.

In addition, the council also voted to re-elect Van Hook as council president by a unanimous decision. Armentor made the nomination, which was followed by a second from Dist. D Councilman Anthony Leblanc.

Van Hook discussed his appreciation for the re-election and enthusiasm for the coming year.

“I’m excited for the future this year,” said Van Hook. “We recently passed a budget with a lot of great projects for the coming fiscal year and I plan on keeping things moving on these improvements for city and the citizens of Jennings.”

Guinn said that he was pleased with the re-appointment of Van Hook, and said he looks forward to continuing to work with him. “He is good at what he does. He runs the meetings efficiently and we look forward to the year ahead.”