City retains special counsel for problem properties

The City of Red Oak has taken a bold step in plans to eliminate nuisance properties in the city.

At the regular meeting of the Red Oak City Council Monday, Nov. 20, discussion centered on retaining attorney Bri Sorensen of Shenandoah as a special counsel for abatement of nuisance and dilapidated property. City administrator Brad Wright said the city had numerous discussions over the properties, and felt it was time to step up the effort.

“Bri reached out to the city seeking the opportunity to work with us. I see it as an opportunity for us to get the people that we need to talk about processes, and Bri can help us line out a very specific process on how we tackle each one of these issues. I think we’ve maybe not acted as aggressively and proactively in the past, and I view this as an opportunity,” Wright said.

Sorensen’s retainer would be $150 per month, and the hourly rate for her services would also be $150. Bri’s father is Shenandoah city attorney Mahlon Sorensen, and Red Oak Mayor Bill Billings said he’d seen the success of her efforts outside of Red Oak.

“Bri and her firm, working with her dad, have brought about great successes on this issue in the city of Shenandoah,” Billings said.

Saving Houses

Billings added the city was in great need of low-to-moderate income housing, which he felt was available within the city.

“A lot of the low-to-moderate income housing is currently dilapidated property we need to address. If we can save 10 for every five to 10 houses we have to tear down, then we’re ahead of the game. Bri’s firm is aware of some steps that they can utilize that will allow for a more expedient addressing of some of these issues. Their firm specializes in it,” commented Billings.

Wright said the agreement between Bri and her firm and the city would be open-ended, and would be discontinued when the council chose. Councilman Larry Barnett favored the agreement.

“I don’t think we’ve been as aggressive over the issue as we could have been. This would be a good step forward. One thing I think is critical is to get some of these properties under control before we get into a situation where we have to tear them down. There are individuals out there that are perfectly willing to rehab those properties,” Barnett said.

Sorensen said there were tools available to help the city in their efforts to handle dilapidated properties.

“In state statute, there’s a tool for the city to take title to property deemed abandoned. It allows the city to wash away all liens and taxes against the property, making them much more appealing to people interested in purchasing the properties. It’s a very good tool for the cities to use,” said Sorensen.

The council unanimously approved a motion to retain Bri Sorensen as special counsel.