While Brookhaven aldermen continue to target and discuss ways tobeautify and upkeep the city, only one more hurdle remains in placebefore work on ridding the city of junky lots and dilapidatedbuildings can take place.

Mayor Bob Massengill said certification of Brookhaven’slandfill, which would be able to accommodate the kind of refusemade by such cleaning projects, must be renewed through theDepartment of Environmental Quality every 10 years. Until thelandfill is approved, though, the project of cleaning the city’sabandoned and overgrown lots is at a standstill.

“It’s in that process at this time,” Massengill said about thelandfill certification. “We’re limited space-wise right now, and wedon’t know where we’re going to be allowed to put these homes orbuildings that are torn down.”

Massengill said the city cannot proceed with clearing any lotsuntil the landfill is cleared for renewal.

Ward One Alderman Dorsey Cameron, who is always a strongadvocate of cleaning abandoned properties and dilapidatedbuildings, said the projects need to be kicked up as soon as thecertification is approved – and not just for city beautificationreasons.

“My number one concern has always been that it becomes a hazardfor potential crime,” he said. “Over the years since I’ve been analdermen, we’d go out and look at some of the houses I’d put on thelist and you could see where people had been staying and usingdrugs, and there were empty beer cans that were recent. It makes ahaven for crimes to increase, besides bringing down the value ofneighborhood.”

Other aldermen have voiced concerns about property value, aswell as having received complaints from their constituents aboutthe unsightliness of some properties with broken-down cars in theyards.

Ward Six Alderman David Phillips said he’s had complaints aboutdilapidated cars. On the issue of run-down buildings, he said heworries about crime to some extent, but that members of his wardalso are worried for the most part about property value.

“I mostly just get the complaints about parked and abandonedcars,” he said. “For one thing it’s about the appearance of thecommunity, but I think it also affects the neighborhood andprotects neighbors’ property values from being depreciated to clearthese lots. It also protects from animal and rodent infestation, aswell as crime.”

Massengill said once the landfill certification is renewed, theprocess involves each alderman making a list of properties he orshe believes need attention. After that, the landowner is notifiedby certified letter and a date is set for a public hearing when thelandowner may make arrangements to clear his lot on his own.

“They have an opportunity to tell us over the next 30 days thatthey’ll do it themselves. Then if they don’t, we’ll do it andcharge them accordingly,” he said.

While burning the buildings down is always an option, Massengillsaid there is still refuse that needs a place to go when it’s allsaid and done.

“My hope is that within the next few weeks we’ll hear back fromDEQ, and we can get the ball rolling,” Massengill said. “I wouldhope that after the budget is behind us we’ll get back to cleaningup some of these properties.”

City officials have sought input on ways to enforce the cleanupordinances from other cities such as Clinton and Brandon, and havetalked at length about ideas to put the pressure on people whoseproperty needs attention. Aldermen understand it could take sometime once the process begins, but they believe it’s worth theeffort for a safer, cleaner city.

“I understand that it is quite a process to actually get to thepoint that it is being torn down and we’re cleaning the lot, but Ithink it is important to the landowners,” said Phillips.

Cameron agreed.

“Once we can make room in the landfill, and we are in the stagesof trying to get started, it’s going to take a little while,” hesaid. “But once we do, my main concern is to make the neighborhoodlook better and trying to curtail crime.”