Sharon police chief resigns; condemnation board formed

Sharon’s Police Chief, Troy Whitworth, and another part-time officer unexpectedly resigned Saturday morning, and the city of Sharon is looking for two full-time officers. During Monday night’s Sharon Board of Mayor and Aldermen meeting, Mayor Ali Stalter asked for a motion to accept both officers’ resignations. City Recorder Donna Stricklin stated that they both turned in resignation letters and their equipment. Reasons for the resignations were not given during the board meeting, and until a new police chief is named, Mayor Stalter is serving as police chief for Sharon.

Stalter wanted to thank the four part-time police officers who have been taking up the slack. She said, “They have really made this transition very easy; it’s been a very seamless procedure.”

Sharon’s city attorney, Jeff Washburn was on hand during the meeting to discuss how to implement a condemnation board for the city of Sharon. During the December board meeting, Alderman James Roberts questioned whether or not Mayor Ali Stalter had authority to appoint a condemnation board without a motion by the Board of Aldermen.

According to Washburn, a slum clearance ordinance, which has already been adopted by the city, allows for the formation of a condemnation board. Therefore, a motion by the board is not necessary. Washburn went on to explain how the Dresden condemnation board operated and how the property values in the city of Dresden have increased since the board’s formation.

“In Dresden’s case, they work with property owners to try to get the property rehabbed so it doesn’t have to be torn down. The entire goal is to improve the property, and certainly any city would rather have a good piece of property rather than clearing the lot and having nothing.” Washburn also answered a citizen’s question regarding what would happen should a property owner refuse to renovate or tear the property down themselves. Washburn said the city would incur the cost of demolition, which would run approximately $4,000 – $5,000.

Washburn also stated that there are two ways in which a property can be placed on the condemnation board’s agenda. The first is directly from the city building inspector, who is a member of the board. The second way a property would be put on the condemnation list is by having at least five citizens request such action be taken. In addition, in order for a property to be condemned, the cost to repair must be at least 50% of the total property value.

Upon hearing input from Washburn, Stalter said the members she originally named to the board would stand. Members of the Sharon condemnation board will be Stalter, Alderman Roberts, Washburn, building inspector David Kelly and two local citizens.

In other news, Stalter stated that a new business would soon be opening in the old city hall building. Stalter said, “It’s going to be a restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. The gentleman who owns Pizza Di Roma in Martin would like to invest in our city and put a restaurant over here for us to enjoy. That will be happening in the next few months.” During citizens’ input, someone questioned the lease terms, and Stalter said the business owner is entering into a 10-year lease, paying $400 per month in rent, and the owner is responsible for all renovations before opening.

During the department reports, the Parks & Recreation Department asked the board for permission to spend up to $1,076 to replace wooden bleachers and up to $2,000 to replace light bulbs at the ballpark. Both expenditures were approved. Parks & Recreation Director Bill Bostwick stated that they would be looking into applying for a grant to replace all of the lighting out there, but for now they needed to focus on replacing those bulbs.

Library Director Deena Smith reported that the library has put in a doorbell and is doing temperature and symptom checks before allowing anyone in the building. She stated that this was due to two patrons coming in and not disclosing their proximity to COVID-positive individuals. She also noted that the library has suspended inter-library loans due to COVID-19. In good news, the library gained 11 new borrowers since October, and they have had 2,338 Wi-Fi users.

During citizens’ input, a resident of Sharon asked about brown water that had been flowing from her faucets. According to the Public Works department, citizens are to call city hall should that occur, so the city can come take a water meter reading. Once that is done, they will supply a hose and flush the system out for approximately two hours, and the citizen will not be charged for that water usage.