Fire eliminates building from condemnation

Tuesday, 23 April 2013 09:48

By ROBERT PIERCE

• Leader & Times

A scheduled condemnation of a property on Virginia Avenue has now been rescinded.

At its Feb. 26 meeting, the Liberal City Commission passed a resolution to set tonight as the time and place for a hearing for the condemnation of a structure located at 335 Virginia Ave.

On April 13, city code official Larry Mastellar said an illegal demolition had been done on the structure, and a fire occurred, creating a dangerous and hazardous condition on the property.

Building inspector Kory Krause deemed the property, formerly known as Mata Transmission, an immediate hazard and ordered the structure razed and the property cleaned up and maintained to a safe condition.

Mastellar said as a result, no further action will be required on the property owned by Rene Mejivar-Guardado and DeJesus Alba Guardado, and the hearing has been stricken from tonight’s agenda.

The commission will also hear an update on the city’s summer youth employment program and vote on candidates to fill three vacancies on the Arkalon Council.

City clerk Debbie Giskie told the commission in a memo that the terms for council members Charles Chain, Bill Harrison and Richard Matthew are expired.

Chain and Harrison are eligible to be reappointed for a second term and have indicated they would like to be reappointed. However, Giskie said Matthew has served two full terms and is not eligible for reappointment.

Three resumes were received from Eldon Wriston, Pete Olson and David Riley, all of which were considered by the Arkalon Council at its April 4 meeting.

The council is recommending that Chain and Harrison be reappointed and that Olson replace Matthew for four-year terms ending Dec. 31, 2016.

The city commission meeting is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. today in commission chambers at 325 N. Washington.