Trenton Cleans Up From Killer Tornadics

Scenes like this are becoming rarer as Trenton gets down to business on its nuisance ordinance.  This "tornadically damaged" Glenwood house, photographed in May 2013, is no longer around to drive its neighbors crazy.  Mayor Emanuel says two houses have been razed so far and possibly another four will have their date with the 'dozer before it's all over. 

Trenton City Commission Making Good Headway on Enforcing Eyesore OrdinanceBy Robin Ford Wallace

             The Trenton City Commission will hold a special election this Tuesday to fill its long-empty streets commissioner seat, but none of the three candidates for that post were present at the city commission meeting on March 10 to have their likenesses immortalized in the pages of The Dade County Planet.

Early voting ends today, Friday, at 4 p.m.; then the polls at City Hall will be open on Election Day from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.  Seeking the street commissioner seat – albeit from a distance –are Tommy Lowery, David Moore and Donald Taylor.

Mayor Anthony Emanuel began the regular meeting with his usual intimate tour through the city finances.  Though he was pleased with how well this year’s expenses have been kept in check, February revenues were below projections, said the mayor. 

Emanuel then called upon City Clerk Lucretia Houts to explain the figures:  The first quarter called for bills to be paid up front, said Ms. Houts, but the city has the rest of the year to recover, plus a hefty Georgia Power franchise check winging its way Trentonward even as she spoke to refeather any bare spots in the municipal nest.

“The message to our citizens is we’re not running in the red,” said the mayor.  “We’re in the black.”

Also on the agenda this month was opening bids for cleanup of 20 Glenwood Drive subsequent to realization of Trenton’s eyesore ordinance.  The city had received two bids for the work.  The commissioners voted to accept the low bid of $1200 and award the work to Mike Lawson, pending formal review to ensure the bid met requirements.

Emanuel explained after the meeting that work at the Glenwood site was mostly a matter of hauling away wreckage.  The home on the lot had been pretty much leveled by what Emanuel is pleased to term the “tornadic activity” of April 2011.  “But the debris is there, and the debris has created an unhealthy and unsafe condition,” said the mayor.

Drivers through the Glenwood and Edgewood areas of Trenton may have noticed how much sprucer the neighborhoods are looking these days.  The mayor says yes, for the most part, property owners are doing a good job of complying with the cleanup ordinance.

“They’ve responded very well,” he said.  “We started out with I believe 32 different locations and it’s down to less than 12 now.”

In a county so allergic to zoning or indeed any land-use restrictions that local politicians avoid saying the Z-word aloud, the Trenton city government passed the eyesore ordinance in early 2012 in the face of multiple buildings left in rubble by those killer tornadics.  It gives the city the power, after a long and careful legal process, to demolish properties if their owners will not clean them up, though Emanuel said that’s only as a last resort when all else has failed.

Only two buildings have been razed so far, said Emanuel.  “There are four, I believe, that we’re giving the homeowner time to address it,” he said.  “But there’s four more that we’ll probably have to knock down.”

  Eloise Gass addressed the city commission on behalf of Trenton Tree City, reporting that her group had planted a tree in honor of Edward Wilkie, former Bank of Dade president. 

The Trenton Arts Council had no representative at the meeting, but Marshana Sharp, manager of the Dade County Library, reminded all that TAC and the library were partnering to present a lecture on art books on Friday, March 14, at 7 p.m. and a workshop on making them on Saturday the 15^th at 1 p.m.  (See Writer’s Column entry below for more information.)

Ms. Sharp also said quilting and knitting classes were ongoing at the library, and invited listeners to sign up for beginning computer classes.   Readers may call the library at (706) 657-7857.

The Trenton City Commission meets at City Hall at 6 p.m. on the second Monday of every month.

robinfordwallace@tvn.net