Judge Joseph Dobry asked lawyers to submit written arguments by July 2 to determine whether a preliminary injunction on the demolition of the St. Cloud buildings will be issued. He will then issue a written ruling.
The hearing was held on June 25 at the Lincoln County Courthouse. A witness for the plaintiff, Joseph Givens, and the plaintiff, John Givens, presented evidence ofworkcompletedon the buildings to make them safer. This included boarding up windows, removing loose bricks, rebuilding the parapets and removing the damagedmetalroof,among other things.
Both men stated that more work is planned, including lowering the back wall to improve stability and repairing a large crack, as recommended by a structural engineer. The defendant, the City of Chandler, presented evidence that the buildings still lacked improvements to overall stability and safety. Scott Wintz, a Chandlercodeenforcement officer, and Rick Forrest, a structural engineer from KFC Engineering, spoke about the condition of the buildings as witnessed through photos taken on June 24. Forrest, in particular, pointed out significant deterioration of wood supporting structures and the roofs. He also expressed concern about potential mold issues and the overall safety of the building, stating it was not safe for occupancy in its current condition.
Wintz expressed concern over the south wall of 1216, which has been left unstable after the roof was removed.
It was determined that no permits have been filed with the City of Chandler on any of the work performed on the buildings. Wintz said the removal of the roof needed a demolition permit. Givens admitted that hewasundertheimpressionheonlyneeded permits for remodeling work and did not need them to clean up storm damage.
He also said he had not addressed any