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Steve Myers
Site Admin
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Mayor Don Williamson plans to start bringing down vacant buildings. Cathy Shafran had more.
In an extensive interview, Williamson unveiled plans for tackling the problem of vacant, eyesore buildings in the city's tax-free Renaissance Zone.
"I'm sending letters out in the next couple weeks to everybody and letting them know I'm coming out to inspect the buildings myself, Donald J. Williamson," he said.
"If the buildings are not up to code, No. 1, they will go back on the tax rolls. If a person has a building where it's a landlord or a commercial slum landlord, I will tear the buildings down and sue the slum landlord."
Williamson, who says he has years of experience in building construction and driving construction vehicles, also says he will have no problem identifying code violations for most buildings.
He pointed to the old Pick Durant that has sat vacant for nearly three decades as an example.
"I wouldn't even have to go into Pick Durant," he said. "I know from standing outside it's in big trouble.
"Mr. Kloss, he had better fix it, or it'll come down. The money will come out of his bank account, or anybody else. I'm telling you, the city of Flint."
As for the Genesee Towers, which had been closed by building inspectors in previous administrations?
"That building may be just a little bit over my head," Williamson said. "I might need some help, but that's one of the few in Flint."
We asked Williamson about the legality of him working as a building inspector without certification.
"I don't think (my own inspectors are) 2 percent as qualified as I am," he said. "If I'm going out on the job, they can come with me while I do the job. They can stumble along."
Full Story and Video:
http://abclocal.go.com/wjrt/news/073004_NW_da_mayor.html |
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Sun Aug 01, 2004 1:08 am |
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