Tuesday, April 16, 2024
308 Fennimore St. before the repairs were made.
Required work on one Gatesville house previously ruled as being substandard has been completed and continues on another property as three other houses are added to the list.
The Gatesville City Council received an update on the houses during the March 28 Council meeting.
"The house at 308 Fennimore passed an electrical inspection and all work required by the city is complete," said acting City Manager Bill Parry.
The Council also learned that despite some delays, work is underway to bring the house at 2006 Bridge St. into compliance. The Council had originally issued a demolition order for the structure on Jan. 25, 2022.
Parry said a plumber from Temple has admitted that "he was the holdup — he couldn't find a part that was needed."
Smart Electric of Copperas Cove has been doing electrical work, but "neither the plumber nor the electrician has requested inspection," Parry said.
The house at 2006 Bridge St. is owned by Josiah Wilson of Buda, Texas, who appeared before the Council on March 28 to give an update.
"I'm committed to getting the project done," Wilson said. "We are progressing. In my opinion it doesn't look as substandard as it once used to. We are committed to it and we are moving forward. We'll get it done."
Mayor Gary Chumley noted that many of the deadlines given for work on the house to be finished are ones that Wilson himself gave to the Council, adding "in some cases we gave him even more time."
Wilson said he has been calling other plumbers to get bids, saying that the plumber he had been working with "is holding us up. At the end of the day it's still my property so we're going to own (responsibility). Within the next two weeks we'll get someone there."
The Council had previously voted to fine Wilson for not meeting deadlines to get work done, but Chumley recommended that based on Wilson's efforts, no additional fines be levied.
"You are getting it done, just not in the timely manner we had hoped," he told Wilson.
Mayor Pro Tem Meredith Rainer told Wilson she recommends "you look at local plumbers. We do have some good plumbers and they are willing to get it done."
The Council agreed not to fine Wilson any more, and will review progress at their April 11 meeting.
Three additional properties were listed in the Council's information packets as substandard structures for the city's Building Standards Commission to consider — houses at 1705 Saunders St., 506-1/2 S. Sixth St. and 506 N. Lutterloh St. No action was taken on those properties during the March 28 meeting.
