COMMISSIONER KIEFER MOTIVES QUESTIONED BY GEORGE LUNLEY

A vacant lot consumes County Commissioners Meeting. If nobody wants the vacant lots in Evansville, why does Commissioner JOE KIEFER doesn’t want a neighbor to OWN, PAY TAXES ON, AND MAINTAIN THE LOT at 923 W Columbia?

I attended the commissioners meeting on Tuesday with Brenda Bergwitz who is a candidate for the commissioner’s seat held by Stephen Melcher. The agenda looked sparse but I thought I would go along and get educated a little. Not much of interest in the meeting but a resident, John Bassemeier, asked and was recognized to speak in the public comment period. Bassemeier was concerned about a vacant lot that needed a new owner.

It sounded like a simple request. He wanted the county to work with him on clearing past building code violation assessments and putting the property into the hands of someone who would take care of it. As he explained his dilemma, it was clear that he had previously solicited cooperation from the County Auditor and County Superintendent of Buildings. It was also clear that the Commissioners were not interested in anything that might assist Mr. Bassemeier. I heard one excuse after another.

Always to the rescue of the underdog I felt compelled to speak in support of Mr. Bassemeier’s efforts in getting the lot into the hands of someone who would take care of it. I just wanted to make a statement in support of a citizen’s effort to acquire one of the vacant lots burdening the city. I could not even finish my statement before being rudely interrupted by Commissioner Kiefer. After my short statement, Kiefer insisted on engaging me and admonishing me for my beliefs. Keifer indicated that the city land bank should own the lot. Yes that is right. The city land bank, (Evansville Brownfields Corp Inc. a private organization) should own the lot and the taxpayers should pay the private organization to maintain it.

A vacant lot that should be owned by a private organization for future large development (per Joe Kiefer) at a cost of up to $1000 per year (per Kelly Coures, Brownfields/city DMD) rather than a neighboring property owner who will pay taxes and maintain this supposedly unwanted lot, must be investigated more closely.
The lot was still there. Right there at 923 West Columbia. Some of the land bank supporters think that if a land bank does not own the lot it will not be available for future development. I have been looking at many of these lots and they are always – still there – and availabel. The lot does not go anywhere just because it falls into the hands of a neighboring property owner.

The traffic did not want to stop while the property posed for photos and the area dogs alerted the residents. Brenda Zeggling came out of her home and greeted me. We shared stories and I learned about the history of the lot and a little about the surrounding property owners. A patrol car circled a couple of times – probably looking for the nut that was reportedly standing in the middle of the road. Fortunately Brenda had plenty of pictures.

Brenda had plenty of photos, some even taken before the vacant lot was vacant, because the property was a major concern. Another story just like the ones I hear over and over. A blighted neighboring house bring down the community and her struggle to get something done about it. Brenda claimed victory and credit for getting the city to finally (years) take action and get rid of the house. Now the dilemma of someone taking care of the lot. Will it be left to grow up in weeds and become a dumping ground for what will not fit in the trash cans?

Wait, wasn’t Bassemeier willing to take the lot, actually buy the lot in a competitive bid process, and make it part of his adjacent property. He is willing to own, maintain the lot, and even pay taxes on it? Problem solved right? Wrong! It could be (almost) that simple but it is not. Another reminder that nothing happens in Evansville unless there is something ($) in it for some special interest. What would be simple, benefit the neighborhood, benefit the neighbors, and save taxpayer money is apparently not in Commissioner Joe Kiefer’s interest.

As I said in my statement to Joe Keifer, and the other Commissioners, if the officeholders and county employees would put half as much effort into helping residents, like Bassemeier, own the property, so he can pay taxes on it and maintain it, rather than fighting for a taxpayer funded land bank where a few can control the fate of vacant lots we would have a much smaller problem with blighted properties burdening the city budget and trashing neighborhoods. The land bank ideas are for “special interest” – not everyone’s “best interest”.

Rather than help Bassemeier in his quest for someone to own the property, pay taxes on the property, and maintain the property, the County Commissioners, County Auditor, County Building Superintendent, County Attorney, and Tax Sale matters advising attorney, all seem to think that offering this particular parcel for sale to adjoining property owners, as is done with most, is an impossible task. Impossible (they say) because of two main issues. First the county does not own the property. Second, if they did own it, which they could, they cannot sell to Bassemeier because he is a stockholder in the current entity holding title.
Yes, Bassemeier already, indirectly, has an ownership interest. In his efforts to help clean this property up after it was abandoned for years to be a blight right next to his property, he got involved to help and now seems to be suffering the wrath of the bureaucracy and special interest promoting the land bank. The specifics will have to be disclosed in yet another expose.

Back to the excuses for not selling the property: I say hogwash on the first excuse because under the new tax sale reform laws the county can acquire ownership with a few strokes of a pen. Why don’t they use this new tool? If they want to ignore this tax sale reform tool there is another method of acquiring title. The current owner is willing to give it to the county. PROBLEM SOLVED!

It surprised me to hear the second excuse. It is actually a provision of the new Indiana Code tax sale revisions the County is refusing to implement. Because Bassemeier owns an interest in the company that is title holder of record he can be disqualified from bidding. But wait, Bassemeier isn’t saying he has to be the bidder or buyer. He is only asking that the County offer it for bid. PROBLEM SOLVED!

Rather than being a burden on taxpayers and neighbors until Realtor/County Commissioner, Joe Kiefer’s big development why not sell the lot? Is it the County Commissioner’s privilege to decide who can own or profit from the real-estate in the neighborhoods? Should a public funded private land bank control who owns or what become of a vacant lot? Should the rights of neighboring property owners not be respected?

FOOTNOTE: GEORGE LUMLEY LETTER WAS POSTED BY THE CCO WITHOUT OPINON, BIAS OR EDITING.

We are asking our readers to “like us” on Facebook and encourage friends and family to do so, as well?

Our next IS IT TRUE will be posted on this coming WEDNESDAY?

If you would like to advertise in the CCO please contact us City-County Observer@live.com.

Todays “Readers Poll”:Do you feel Council should spend $16 million dollars to renovate North Main area?

Copyright 2015 City County Observer. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed