Friday, September 13, 2013
 
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City will take action to help cockroach-infested neighborhood

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[September 13, 2013]  Tuesday evening, the Lincoln City Council committee of the whole began with a disturbing conversation between aldermen and Lincoln resident Darrell Cummings.

Cummings came to the council to seek quick and aggressive help with a problem in his Fourth Street neighborhood. He explained to the council that there is a home in the community that is so infested with cockroaches that the nasty insects are now making their way to surrounding homes.

He said the home in question has been occupied by people who didn't respect the property or the neighborhood. They threw their trash on the ground outside their door and left it there, making for an attractive gathering place for the roaches. He added that those people, who are now gone, were believed to be drug users. He saw evidence of beer containers thrown in the yard, as well as other disturbing trash.

Cummings said one of the biggest contributors to the problem is the landlord, who hasn't kept the place up and has allowed less-than-reputable people to occupy the home.

But, to make matters worse, he said the roaches that occupy the location by the thousands are now migrating to surrounding properties. He noted that his 80-year-old neighbor goes outside to his driveway in the evening and literally stomps 20 to 30 roaches at a time, trying to keep them out of his home.

Cummings said the city needed to do something to help the community with this terrible problem.

Mayor Keith Snyder asked John Lebegue, city zoning and safety officer, to offer his comments on the situation, and Lebegue backed up everything Cummings was saying.

Lebegue said he had been working on this problem for close to a month. The first bit of positive news was that the people occupying the home have moved out. The garbage has been cleaned up around the property, and the house has been treated numerous times for the cockroaches.

The bad news is that so far, it is having very little effect. Lebegue said the infestation is so bad the bugs are inside the walls and ceiling of the house, as well as under the house, and can be seen coming out of the foundation area.

Lebegue said the landlord lives in Tennessee and has been notified that action is needed. The city has issued a no-occupancy order on the house, and Lebegue said he had posted a placard on the building to show that it has been condemned.

Lebegue said as he saw it, the property owner had two options: either completely gut the house, removing the ceiling and walls, then exterminate the roaches and rebuild; or tear the house down.

He said he'd given the owner 30 days to take action, and at the moment that was the best he could do with the landowner. He said the owner would have to make some kind of decision. The property as it stands now isn't going to be rentable, so every day the landowner lets the problem go, it is costing him revenue.

Beyond that, Lebegue said the property didn't fit into the guidelines for fast-track demolition, so there was not a great deal more his office would be able to do about the problem. He added that had the property been eligible for fast track, he would have jumped on getting it done as quickly as possible.

Melody Anderson asked if the Logan County Department of Public Health had been contacted and if there any way that agency could help with this problem. Lebegue said he had talked to the health department, but because the house is in the city limits, the agency cannot offer any assistance.

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Sue McLaughlin asked why Lebegue had not issued a notice to demolish the building. Lebegue said he didn't have a strong enough case for demolition. She then wondered why he gave the landowner 30 days to act instead of 10. Lebegue said he didn't have anything strong enough in the city code to enforce that.

Lebegue punctuated the situation by saying that he didn't think the city of Lincoln has ever seen a problem this severe; therefore, it has not been properly addressed in the city safety codes. He needs stronger language in the codes for this problem so he can take action.

Kathy Horn wondered if the building had open windows and doors, and if other critters were getting inside in addition to the roaches.

Lebegue said it was on his to-do list for Wednesday to further inspect the building.

Tom O'Donohue asked what the city needed to do. He asked Lebegue: "What do you need? Is there some tool we can give you?"

Lebegue said the city needs to author a code to deal specifically with situations like this. Anderson then said that she wanted the city to "fast track" such a code for Lebegue so this matter could be dealt with as quickly as possible.

Cummings told the council he wanted to see the house gone. He reiterated that the people who have been occupying the house are not the kind he wants in his neighborhood. In addition, it was noted this building where Cummings alleges drug users have been known to live is right across the road from Carroll Catholic School.

Cummings also told the council that he has been involved with Lebegue's work on the problem and that the zoning and safety officer has been really good, but it was disturbing to see that Lebegue's hands were tied to a certain degree.

Steve Messner was also in the galley to speak on this problem. He told the council that he wasn't concerned so much for himself as he was for his 80-year-old neighbor, Mr. Eimer. He said the Eimers are very concerned about the bugs getting into their home. Messner backed up what Cummings had said, saying the elderly gentleman is so worried, he is outside all the time stomping the bugs in his driveway, trying to keep them from coming to his home.

Messner also noted that not long ago, he was outside for a walk with his granddaughters, and the girls actually had the roaches crawl up on their feet and legs. Messner also noted in response to Horn's earlier question that there are open windows in the house, so other vermin are more than likely living inside.

He said he wanted to ask the council to please pass the ordinances Lebegue needs to deal with the problem as quickly as possible.

Mayor Keith Snyder responded by saying that he would now ask McLaughlin, Lebegue and city attorney Blinn Bates to get on this immediately and try to have something ready for the next voting session.

[By NILA SMITH]

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