By Sebastian Kanally, Times Chronicle

An Oliver property is being forced to clean up its property, or the town will do it at the owner’s expense. 

Council approved a lengthy two page motion requesting remedial action be taken against the owner of 6837 Main Street in Oliver. 

The property has been the subject of numerous bylaw infractions over the past several years and currently has numerous problems that the town says need to be addressed. 

The town notes that specific problems include a fire-damaged dwelling with garbage and burned material surrounding the building. The building is also not secured and is accessible by the public. 

There are also multiple piles of garbage throughout the property including old tires, appliances, construction materials, propane tanks, and various forms of household waste. 

Town staff has concluded that the conditions create an unsafe environment and constitute a nuisance. 

Town council voted unanimously to impose the remedial action. 

Councillor David Mattes thanked staff for taking this action and commented that “I think it’s very important that we move in this direction, and I also ask if we can do it on some other properties.” 

This lengthy motion had multiple parts specifying multiple types of required action. 

The house on the property is designated by the town as unsafe, and all the vehicles and garbage on the property are declared “offensive to the community”. 

The imposed actions require the owner to demolish the house within 60 days of being served with the notice and all the garbage and vehicles to be cleaned up within 30 days. 

If the owner fails to complete any of the actions stated in the time required, then the town and its contractors are authorized to enter the property and perform all the actions at the owner’s expense. 

If the costs of these actions are not paid by December 31, 2024, then the costs will be recovered through taxes. 

Councillor Aimee Grice noted that there is a trailer on the property that may have people living in it, if there is, she would like to see them offered social services as they would be displaced by the action. 

Director of Development Services Randy Houle explained that as far as the town understood the trailer is not occupied.