Great Bend Post
At last week’s Great Bend City Council meeting, City Administrator Logan Burns presented an abatement that was approved by the council. The abatement to be cleaned up at 2015 Baker Avenue had furniture and mattresses on the west side of the property.
After seeing the abatement, council member Gary Parr suggested to city officials to view the issues at 811 Madison.
"It's a landfill," said Parr. "I'm looking at this from a public safety standpoint. There's no telling the rodents and whatever is living in there because it's massive. I have no vendetta against the owner, but you can't do that, I can't do that. There isn't anybody sitting here that can do what's going on over there without somebody saying something about it."
Burns said the Property Maintenance department has previously looked at the 811 Madison lot and were successful in getting rid of a vehicle and tires. He also noted some of the concerns are difficult to take action on because the city is allowed to take pictures of private property only from the sidewalk or easement.
When asked about flying a drone over the property to snap pictures, City Attorney Allen Glendenning advised against the suggestion.
"If you're flying a drone into somebody's yard at eye level, that definitely would be wrong," said Glendenning. "How high up you go for that, I don't know if there is any legal definition of exactly where you would have to be. It would probably be an unreasonable search."
Burns added that city crews will continue to monitor the status at 811 Madison.