Bradley County Commissioners voiced their concern Monday night over the burned-down house on Eureka Road beside the fire hall that has yet to be cleaned up.
The court has already ordered the cleanup of the house to take place. According to Commissioner Terry Caywood, the man who owns the home received a settlement and said he would take care of the wreckage. The homeowner has had over a year and seven months to do this, it was stated. Commissioner Caywood suggested giving the homeowner a deadline to have the debris cleaned up.
Commissioner Dan Rawls stated the county could give the homeowner until the middle or end of January to get the project finished. Beyond that date, the county could charge the homeowner a daily fee from $50 to $100 until the cleanup is complete, Commissioner Rawls proposed.
The quote to tear down, load, and dump the demolished home is $4,650. According to a member of the finance committee, the money from the settlement was moved into the finance committee’s budget, making the committee the overseer of the project. One member stated the county could clean the home up at any time because the judge has already signed the order giving authority to do so. At this point, the committee is waiting on the go ahead from environmental officer Tim Mason, who has the authority to move forward with the cleanup at his discretion.
Commissioner Charlotte Peak stated that, due to weather, it would be better to wait a few months to tear down and get rid of what is left of the home. She said the rainy season would slow down the process and result in the county paying more money.
No resolution was reached on the exact date the cleanup would begin. A member of the finance committee stated it would take place in the very near future.