City looks to clean up fire scene

It’s been slightly more than two months since a fire destroyed two historic buildings in downtown McMinnville. Although clean-up has been slowly progressing, speed may pick up.
Streets and Sanitation Committee members have approved an agreement that will allow the city to remove debris and clean up 207 and 209 E. Main Street, but only if property owners are willing.
According to the agreement, the owners of each property will allow the city access to their property for the ‘purpose of clearing debris and removing the remaining walls of the structure left after the devastating fire which destroyed the property.’
The cost will be much less than hiring a private company. City administrator David Rutherford was told others were ‘considerably higher’ by one of the property owners.
For the property at 207 East Main Street, owned by Mel and Janice Dixon, the city estimates the total price for the work will not exceed $13,000. The adjacent property, 209 East Main Street, owned by Travis McVey is estimated at $10,000.
As far as Mel Dixon is concerned, the city’s offer is a good one. Since the fire, he and his wife, Janice, have been working alongside volunteers to clean the area. Clean-up efforts have been slow and physically draining.
‘I appreciate how the city has handled this,’ he said. ‘We’ve tried to do what we can, but we can only do so much. We don’t want it to be another hole downtown.’
In the past, the city would give the property owner notice and time ‘ sometimes years ‘ to fix a property. If the problem remained unfixed, the city would take the owner to court. Once ordered to comply by a judge, the city would be allowed to legally step in, clean it up and place a lien on the property for clean-up costs.
Given the prominent location of these buildings, the city wants to avoid force and get the area cleaned sooner rather than later. The city is not getting into the debris removal business, and it will not make a habit of competing with private companies.