Osyka aldermen heard Thursday about plans for a dilapidated property from its overseer.
Manu Moudgil, executor of his father’s estate, said he plans to make repairs to the former Red and White store at the intersection of Highways 51 and 584, which is being used to store some family property.
In the meantime, he said he would put out “No Trespassing” signs while he works on the building and prepares to put the property on the market.
The building “looks fine to me, but I can see how others wouldn’t think so,” Moudgil said.
Mayor Allen Applewhite encouraged Moudgil to proceed.
“Get to work and put some paint on it,” Applewhite said. “If you’re going to sell it, you need to improve it.”
Moudgil said he can’t put the property on the market until probate is closed on his father’s estate. Rai Moudgil died in 2007, and probate has not yet been completed.
“To have a buyer, I need to close the case,” Moudgil said.
He said Gary Honea is the attorney on the estate case.
Regardless, “you need to get on it,” Applewhite said. “Tell us at the next board meeting when you think you can do something.”
Concerned citizens complained about the property at the November board meeting.
Another concern raised at that meeting, the condition of railroad property in town, came up again as well.
Linda Williams said some of the debris along the tracks in town had been moved, but a significant amount of trash and piles of debris remained.
“They’ve started cleaning up, but they haven’t finished,” Williams said. “I think it’s time that y’all step in and contact them.”
Williams also aired her worries that the material that was removed from Osyka was improperly disposed of. She said she had heard that the railroad was dumping waste materials near the tracks in the Chatawa area.
Despite concerns about federal oversight perhaps overriding local laws, board attorney Wayne Dowdy said the town should still have jurisdiction.
“I feel they would still have to comply with local ordinances and zoning,” Dowdy said. “You should have the same rights on that property with that owner as you do with any other in town, and you have the authority to regulate nuisances.”
The attorney said the town could hold a hearing on the property as a prelude to declaring it a nuisance, and he told Williams to be present with pictures showing recent conditions.
In other business, the board:
• Took no action on a utility building moved into town by Jay Chambers. Dowdy said the 12-by-16 foot building was too small to be covered by the town’s ordinance on relocating buildings.
• Approved privilege licenses for Ruby’s Attic Treasures, the White Magnolia and 4-Way Quick Stop.
• OK’d the environmental clearance, grant agreement, administration contract and engineering contract for the town’s planned sewer system rehabilitation project.
• Learned November’s water system loss was 38.3 percent, down from 49.05 percent in October.
• Noted fines and fees collected in November of $166.
• Received a report of 13 tickets written by town police, including three for driving without a license, two for loud noise, two for lack of liability insurance, two for open containers of alcohol, and one each for careless driving, driving under the influence of alcohol, no tag and driving with suspended license.
