Health board to condemn apartment in Kenton

By ALEC KELLER

Times staff writer

An apartment at 125 E. Letson St., Kenton, is in the process of being condemned by the Kenton-Hardin Health Department.

During the health board meeting on Tuesday evening, Environmental Director, Shane Lotts, explained that the rental property was considered too dangerous for the tenants.

Lotts said they were living without water since November of 2024. It is his department’s belief that the landlord was still collecting rent at that point, though Lotts clarified he was unsure of that.

“We did a search warrant a couple weeks ago, it was pretty bad,” Lotts said. “So we are placarding that on October 8th. October 13th is when they (the tenants) have to be out.”

Health Commissioner Dionne Staley has signed the condemnation order. If the landowners choose to appeal, they may. Though so far, no appeal has been received, Lotts said. The only thing that is left is for the health department to become a client for the county prosecutor.

Ally Collette, who serves as as an investigator for the prosecutor’s office, relayed Prosecutor Brad Bailey’s concern that it should not be condemned and left to rot. Instead, he wants it cleaned so that a renter could use it in the future.

“His concern is that if we just condemn it, that the landowner will just forget about it, kick the tenants out, and just leave it to rot on the land,” Colette said. “He’s also concerned that we won’t be able to encourage the landowner to do this on her own.”

To ensure that the property is cleaned up, Bailey is asking for the health board’s blessing to file an injunction, should a lawsuit occur.

“I thought all we had to do was condemn it,” board member Jeryl Kissling said. “If it’s in the city, and the city uses the codes to do everything else, I didn’t think it was our job to do anything else after we condemn it.”

Lotts explained that this is more of a health angle. He added that the prosecutor doesn’t want to have a situation where there are a number of condemned rental properties and no results for them.

Kissling replied that it was stated in a meeting that once the department condemns it, it is either the “township or the city’s job to go the next steps,” and that the city would have to file the injunction. She explained that someone has to pay for the cleanup, and that there is manpower and time that it consumes after the condemnation.

“I think Brad’s concern is that because we’re wooking so closely with the health department in this, that they would be able to help in the case that the city might not be willing to,” Collette said in response. “And again, we’re hoping that this is our fall-back plan.”

Collette said the prosecutor needs a client. He cannot be the investigator and the prosecutor. So, the health board would be the client in the event that the property is not cleaned.

Kissling, alongside board president Martha Gray, wanted to know if Collette could ask the prosecutor if the city has some responsibility in that.

“We’re not opposed to it,” Gray said. “But we don’t want to also let the city off the hook. Because they are on the hook.”

The board is adamant that the city should take some responsibility, as it occurred within city limits. As such, the board agreed to table the discussion as the situation develops.

In other business, the board:

– Approved a variance request for the property of 19986 CR 240 in Mount Victory to eliminate a yard hydrant and existing wells and install a septic system in a 2 acre minimum section.

– Approved a 30 day extension for the property of 0093 TR 89 to get a well permit and correct a sewage nuisance.

– Approved a 12 month variance for the property of 18312 TR 265 in Kenton to tie into an existing septic system and obtain a permit.