There was a full agenda of code enforcement items at last night’s meeting of the Ruston City Council, and that likely will be the case for the next several months, Code Enforcement Officer Bill Sanderson said.
Said Sanderson, “We have a project with the state that we’re working with… most of which are covered under a funded project from the state. It allows for the demolition of buildings that property owners are having difficulty finding funding to demolish.”
Mayor Ronnie Walker added that it was a federal project funded through the state.
Said Walker, “In the past, what happened, we (the city) would pay it (the demolition), we would lien the property, and then they never get anything out of it. They asked from the very first, we don’t want you to even lien the property, we (the state) want to just pay.”
About half the condemned structures were located in a trailer park at 1609 West California. That address is several hundred yards west of Tech Farm. Sanderson said the property owner is Jest Holdings, LLC.
The council heard the monthly treasurer’s report from Treasurer Julie Speir. Ward 4 Alderman Jim Pierce thanked Speir for putting the report in a written format, along with graphs.
See here the report.
Lincoln Parish News Online 
02/03/2021 at 7:28 am |
Tracey Witt drives around in a brand new navigator but our tax dollars are paying to clean up their mess. Ridiculous .
02/03/2021 at 8:41 am |
They own the auto place right?
02/03/2021 at 2:02 pm |
Yeah she also owns Bradshaws Body and also a realtor
02/03/2021 at 2:04 pm |
Just looked at Jess Holdings. They live on Creeks Edge? They can afford their own demolition. He’s also the son of pastor at Life Church.
02/03/2021 at 2:12 pm |
I’m sure once it’s clear they’ll sell the lot for $100k. The city needs to put a lien on it whether the state pays to clean it up or not! Again I say, ridiculous.
02/03/2021 at 10:16 am |
The last federal project that we had funded from the state fell through cause the plans didn’t spec out.
02/03/2021 at 1:05 pm |
Sounds like a. Sweetheart deal, fishy,fishy
02/03/2021 at 1:26 pm |
I don’t think that taxpayer money should be spent on private property. I know this happens quite often for various reasons but I don’t agree with. In this case using taxpayer money to clean up private property is an abuse of public funds. I believe in property rights. If it is your property you are responsible. I also don’t think the government has the right to tell you how to maintain your property. Just a suggestion with the property owners permission the fire department could burn the structures for training maybe include the parish volunteer fire departments.
02/09/2021 at 2:05 pm |
Fire departments have quit doing that on older properties because of potential asbestos exposure.
02/14/2021 at 7:43 pm |
Ruston does an exceptional job on removing blighted properties as compared to every other jurisdiction in the region.