Council says 10 properties are on condemned list; three substandard buildings torn down recently

Residents from Ballinger and neighboring Coleman criticized visible blight and said lack of proactive enforcement makes neighborhoods look rundown. They called for more code enforcement patrols and clearer accountability.

A staff member described the city's approach: the city uses a contracted code-enforcement provider and has about 10 properties on its condemned list. The staff member said, "We have 10 on the condemned list," and confirmed the city has torn down three substandard buildings in the last three months. Staff explained the process: the city can clean a property and invoice the owner, and if owners do not pay the invoice the matter can be referred to municipal court.

Commenters asked why the city outsourced code enforcement; staff replied that contracting a certified vendor is less expensive than maintaining in-house code enforcement and that the contract is producing results but will take time to show full effect.

Council did not vote on code-enforcement policy; staff said remediation and condemned-property budgeting will continue to be constrained by available funds.