Structures located at 107 Church Street, 434 East Academy Avenue and 923 West Nezpique Street were declared unsafe, falling down and in need of condemnation this week by the Jennings City Council.  At least three of the structures are reportedly to be torn down or repaired by the owners and one of the properties may have a new owner.

The properties will continue to be monitored by the city inspector’s office to ensure work is done to address the issues and all legal procedures are followed, according to Council President Stevie Van Hook.

Mayor Henry Guinn said the condemnations are part of the city’s plans to beautify and enhance its appearance for future economic development.

The city spends about $40,000 a year to remove condemned structures throughout the city.

“We don’t want to be known as the administration that just goes in and tears properties down,” Guinn said.

Guinn said the city wants to work with property owners to get the structures renovated as needed or torn down and cleaned up in a timely manner.

“Our objective is not to just go after these structures,” Guinn said.

The city will work with the owners who are willing to hire contractors or tear the properties down themselves in an effort to save taxpayers money.  Guinn said taxpayers should not have to pay for demolishing the structure.

In the last five year the city has condemned adjudicated properties and removed the structures at a cost to the taxpayers. Costs incurred by the city for maintenance to the property including grass cutting and demolition are added to the property tax roll.

Homes condemned this week are privately owned by families or individuals, which are much more stringent to condemn, he said.

“We will have to go through a different process to make sure we legally notify the residents of what they have to do to secure a contractor or remove the properties themselves,” he said.

Many of the properties condemned this week have been on the city’s radar for several years, including the structure located at 418 East Academy Avenue.

“This particular structure has been on our radar for sometime,” Guinn said. “Prior to the hurricane, the structure had issues with the roof. After the hurricanes there was major damage to the home because a tree fell.”