By John Howell
The mayor, aldermen and the sister of a man who lives in a sub-standard structure on Tubbs Road spent some minutes August 2 discussing how to deal with the occupant’s resistance to allowing improvements.
“I’m asking for some help,” the family member said, addressing city officials.
The home has no utilities, Code Administrator Pam Comer has told the mayor and aldermen at several city board meetings.
“She had asked for some help because she’s going to be the only one working on it,” Comer said of the family member who is one of a number of heirs to the property.
“There are not any programs where we can do anything but go through the cleanup process and tear it down and charge it back to the taxes,” Comer said.
Comer said that representatives of the Mississippi Adult Protective Services have been contacted seeking help. During the August 2 meeting, Comer also contacted District 11 Representative Lataisha Jackson and also Chancery Judge Vickie Daniels looking for help for the occupant.
“We’re caught in a Catch-22,” Mayor Jerry Autrey said.
“Thank you,” the family member interjected.
“We’ve got to deal with the house and condition, and we also are trying to help him,” the mayor continued.
The family member said that a previous attempt to commit the occupant was unsuccessful.
“The judge said he had just as much right to stay on that property as we did,” the family member said.
The discussion continued for almost 15 minutes. City officials discussed bringing a licensed contractor to the house to determine what would be required to bring it up to code, seeking the help from Representative Jackson and writing another letter to the occupant seeking compliance.
“We appreciate your coming but we still haven’t got much done,” the mayor told the family member.
“Yes, you did,” the family member replied. “At least I know somebody’s trying.”
Aldermen set two hearings for their Sept. 6 meeting:
• A hearing on a request for a variance on setback requirements for physical education building at 199 Booth Street will allow public comment on the South Panola School District’s request to be allowed to construct a 4,000 square foot facility with a three-foot setback instead of the required 12 feet on the building’s north side.
The district is also seeking a variance in site and building design standards that will have metal siding on three sides of the structure;
• A hearing on a request by Willie Lockett that he be allowed to sell from a portable building or tent in the parking lot of Batesville Gun and Pawn Shop at 135 Highway 51 South.
The city officials also set a cleanup hearing for 415 Willa Street