Ordinance Proposed To Hold Owners Responsible For Deteriorated Buildings

Mt. Carmel Mayor Joe Judge has introduced an ordinance that he hopes will help cut down the exposure the city faces when a commercial building fails to keep up their property. At yesterday’s city council meeting, Judge said the city has spent too much money demolishing dilapidated properties—specifically the former Market Street properties including the Walters buildings in the 500 block; the former Hadley’s Café in the 400 block, and the former Warren building in the 300 block. According to Judge, demolition of those buildings cost the city tens of thousands of dollars apiece. Under his proposal, the mayor said the city will no longer be responsible for buildings that either fall into disrepair or are the victim of a fire. He placed the blame on the issue on out of state insurance carriers who ultimately leave it up to the city to pay for the demolition. Judge said since there’s only so much money the city has at its’ disposal, it’s time for the council to take action to prevent future issues and expenditures. No details were offered on the parameters of the occupancy ordinance that Judge floated last night.