The Starkville Board of Aldermen voted on Tuesday to condemn the Camelot Apartments complex.
City officials have conducted inspections of the complex, which suffers from sewage overflow issues, as well as an abundance of criminal activity and trash on apartment grounds, since August. The complex is located at 1040 N. Montgomery St.
Aldermen approved a recommendation from Community Development Director Buddy Sanders to allow tenants 60 days to move out of the condemned property. On the 61st day, the city will terminate electric and water service to the complex.
The city’s resolution only applies to three of the four parcels owned by Camelot Court, LLC. Four of six total buildings are located on those parcels. The resolution does not affect the other two.
Sanders said he was unsure how many residents the resolution would put out of their home. The measure affects 16 units, some of which are vacant.
The property owners will have four months to fix the issues plaguing the buildings, or the city will take action, likely by demolishing the apartments.
Aldermen voted 5-0, with Ward 2 Alderman Lisa Wynn abstaining, in favor of the resolution.
Wynn acknowledged the problems needed to be addressed. After the meeting, she said she had concerns about lenders, such as banking institutions that may have been involved with the property, being aware of issues.
“Do they have knowledge of the conditions of the said properties that have been determined to be a menace?” she asked.
Sanders said Starkville Utilities Department filed a sewage overflow complaint on Aug. 8. An investigation found sewage draining into a local ditch and a great deal of trash around the facility.
A subsequent inspection on Aug. 18 found the issue had not been fixed.
An Oct. 26 inspection found that the owner attempted to fix the problem but may have made it worse.
“While the property owner had placed a cap on the sewer opening that was causing the problem, it forced the sewer water to come out at other areas of the property,” Sanders said.
On Oct. 31, the cap on the sewage line had been removed. Sanders said water samples were taken, and “the fecal count was so high it could not be registered.”
Sanders pointed out since multiple units are unoccupied, it draws a high level of criminal activity to the complex. As of Tuesday morning, no improvements had been made to the property.
Resident concerns
Two residents, Barbara Davis and Sherron Mitchell, went before the board to talk about the apartments on Tuesday.
Davis expressed some concern about figuring out where to go in the 60-day window.
“If we have to move, where are we going to go?” she asked. “Where is this extra money going to come from so that we can find some residence?”
Though it was determined that both Davis and Mitchell lived in the unaffected buildings, Wiseman said the city will not accommodate residents who have to move out of the affected apartments. He later told The Dispatch that the city’s only obligation is to the public-health issue caused by the sewage problem.
“If the city were to place this mandate on the property owner, the city would make no accommodations for the tenants,” Wiseman said during the meeting. “That would be a civil matter between you and the property owner. That would be dependent on the terms of your lease agreement with the property owner and what rights you may have with the property owner in the lease agreement.
“However, in the event that the resolution is passed, the city would move to evict the tenants (who are not out in 60 days) from the property so the situation could be remedied,” Wiseman added.
Mitchell said she and some other residents try to pick up trash around the complex. She also said the sewage is beginning to back up by her unit.
“Thank God it isn’t summer, or you wouldn’t be able to breathe,” she said.
Both residents said they don’t know their landlord well, and he hasn’t responded to complaints or calls.
“He don’t call, he don’t come by, he don’t do anything,” Davis said.
Cory Anthony and Slade Kraker own the property, according to the Mississippi Secretary of State’s website.
In other business, aldermen approved advertising bonds for a $7 million bond issue for an industrial park.
The board also approved an agreement with the Starkville Oktibbeha Consolidated School District, Family Centered Programs and SOAR for the use, repair and maintenance of the J.L. King Center.
Aldermen also changed the location of a Ward 4 polling place from the former city hall to the Needmore Center on Gillespie Street.
Alex Holloway was formerly a reporter with The Dispatch.
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