LAKEPORT >> Two nuisance abatement hearings were held at the Lake County Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday.
The supervisors unanimously approved the recordation of liens against the properties, the first of which totaled approximately $1,300 and the second of which totaled a little less than $1,900.
The first hearing, which was in regard to an abandoned property located on Robin Hill Drive in Lakeport, took a positive turn.
“It looks like it is in the process of going back to the bank,” Lake County Community Development and Code Enforcement Director Richard Coel said.
According to Coel, the property was not in a “tear-down” state, but simply overgrown with weeds and shrubs. Additionally, the property was unsecure from entry.
The abatement contract included cleaning up the overgrown weeds and shrubs, as well as boarding up windows.
During the second hearing, a Kelseyville property located on Meadow Wood Drive was discussed. The property had been brought to the code enforcement department”s attention by the Lake County Sheriff”s Office Narcotics Task Force, after they had found an indoor marijuana cultivation operation at the property.
“The home was left in a state of disrepair and unsafe conditions due to mold and rewiring of the house to support the grow operation,” Coel said.
An unpermitted deck was constructed on the back of the home, but the “main problems are interior.”
After awarding a contract to board up the house and returning to the property to take updated photographs, the code enforcement department found that the work had been undone.
“We”re going to check with property management companies, because it is possible somebody opened it up because they are trying to sell the property,” Coel said.
In both cases, attempts to contact the property owners were made, but with no response. Neither property owners were present at the hearings.
In September, Coel said he plans to search for code violations in particular communities throughout the county, then move around the lake.
“We expect to see voluntary compliance increase as we move forward,” Coel said.
Currently, approximately 30 percent of abatements are complied voluntarily.
Additionally, Coel thinks costs can be reduced by focusing on individual communities.
“A lot of our costs are for mobilization and transport to the landfill,” Coel said.
If each area is addressed on its own, Coel said local contractors can be hired to potentially lessen cost to the county.
J.W. Burch can be reached at 900-2022
