City provides update on Main Street building

The City of Willow Springs has sent a letter to the nonprofit Main Street Willow Springs, LLC formally inviting them to the next meeting of the board of aldermen, confirms City Administrator Beverly Hicks. 

"We hope that this letter will articulate the expectations and the desire to have regular updates on your process to move forward with the repair of the building," reads the letter dated Nov. 28. "Consequently, we ask that you have a representative from your group to update and answer questions posed from the city council regarding this process. The next council meeting is scheduled for Dec. 13 at 5:30 p.m. with this topic on the agenda."

The letter confirms the city's understanding that the nonprofit has entered into a contract with Gene Douglas with Oke-Thomas & Associates. As project manager, Douglas told Hicks his expected timeline of operations is:

-to take measurements and draft a scope of "by the middle of December",

-an expected vote from the nonprofit board to accept the plan and establish a contract with Base Construction for the work to be done,

-to determine a timetable of completion of proposed work from the contract with Base Construction.

In her letter to the nonprofit, Hicks stressed urgency.

"It is very important that you continue to move forward in an assertive manner and not lose sight of the goal. The council has a responsibility to ensure public safety and is concerned winter is soon approaching," the letter says. 

It was established in the Oct. 27 meeting of the board of aldermen that the building at Main and Center meets the ordinances' definition of a "dangerous building," but the city has not taken any further steps towards enforcing the ordinance. 

"If it is the council's desire to officially declare this building a dangerous building, then a notice would be put on the building stating such and an order to vacate and repair, or an order to vacate and demolish would officially be given to the Main Street Group, which would start a timeline for them to commence work within 30 days," said Hicks in an email to Howell County News on Dec. 3. "If they fail to commence work within that period, the council would hold a hearing, giving all parties a full and adequate time to be heard. The Building Commission would then make findings of fact from the evidence offered and move forward accordingly per ordinance."