Two large piles of trash left just outside the front doors of a couple of abandoned apartments in the 1000 block of S. 14th St. have New Castle Mayor Greg York grinding his teeth in anger.
“I’m pissed off!” the mayor said as he and other city officials stood on the sidewalk in front of what was once known as the Colonial Flats apartment building at 1010 S. 14th St. “If people can’t take better care of their apartments, whether it’s a landlord or a renter, then they need to move out of town.”
York said the owner of the building, identified as Scott Salgan of Chicago, Ill., who purchased the property via an online tax sale, has done a poor job of maintaining the building since he bought it.
“We’re not going to put up with this. We’ve turned the water off here a number of times and all the utilities are off, but people have continued to live in it,” the mayor said.
York pointed out that for the past year or more he has been vocal about the need for city residents and property owners to do a better job taking care of their trash.
Educating people about the fact it is against a city ordinance to set large piles of trash at curbside has been discussed at nearly every city council meeting held this year and a flier detailing the local trash ordinance is scheduled to go out with local water bills in July.
“The building inspector is condemning this place. If we have to take over this building using imminent domain and then tear it down, that’s what we’re going to do, but it’s time that landlords take ownership and manage these properties like they need to,” York said. “We’re going to fine them, we’re going to call them into court and if they don’t show up in court we’re going to put them in jail. I have had it. I’m not going to let our streets look like this.”
City water superintendent Greg Phipps said water to the building was originally turned off in February because of non-payment on the part of the landlord.
“Somebody turned it back on three different times. On March 14, we shut it off and made it impossible for them to turn it back on,” Phipps said.
York said the building occupants were paid renters at one time, but the owner “walked away and quit paying the utility bills.” At some point, it appears squatters moved in and lived in the building without electric or gas service and only intermittent water service.
York said Salgan was previously cited into court for city code violations, but failed to make an appearance.
Kimball Baker, the city street commissioner, said situations such as this create a lot of extra work and expense for his department. He also noted that two green trash toters recovered from the scene had been stolen from another location.
York said theft of the toters provided to city water customers is on the increase.
“We’ve had a rash of people stealing the toters. We’re going to have to start charging people for replacement toters,” York said.
Kenny Melton, the city building inspector, said he noticed people hauling trash, unwanted furniture and other items out of the South 14th Street site Wednesday.
“The people who were throwing it out said they were supposed to have a dumpster here by 3 and they didn’t,” Melton said. “We attempted to contact the owner and he hasn’t called back. We left him a voicemail.”
Melton said Salgan was previously cited for not properly maintaining a gas well he owns on Park Avenue.
“He actually paid a $2,500 fine on that deal,” Melton said.
Melton also said the city ordinance regarding trash limits collection of large items to owner-occupied, private residences only. Also, that large trash is to be set out on Friday only, depending on what part of the city in which a resident lives. Question about that may be directed to the mayor’s office at 765-529-7605.
Mayor York said the city will no longer tolerate violations of the trash ordinance and is advising city residents and those who own property here that New Castle is getting tough on anyone who contributes to making the city look trashy.
