Resident urges city to push county to secure vacant lots and address fire hazards

A resident (Speaker 4) told the meeting that several county-owned houses within the town are unsecured, drawing squatters and creating a fire risk that has already led to three structure fires since the speaker moved to town. "The county is sitting on the money right now to get rid of the fire hazard in this town," the resident said, urging the city to work with the county commissioners to board properties and clear overgrown lots.

The resident also raised related quality-of-life concerns, including potholes and limited maintenance capacity, and said volunteers or a brush-hog paid for by the $2 fire-prevention charge on residents' water bills should be used to reduce hazards. Council members responded by suggesting the resident take the property list to the Commissioner's Court; Speaker 6 indicated plans to follow up at the commissioners' meeting.