he city of Du Quoin is looking to hire an animal control officer.
At Monday's meeting of the city council, commissioners voted unanimously to advertise for the part-time position. The job would pay somewhere between $1,200 and $1,400 a month, and the successful candidate would be accountable to and dispatched by the police department. The officer would be equipped with a cell phone, a police radio and a truck and would be expected to conduct regular sweeps of the city.
Advertisements for the position will appear in local newspapers, and the tentative deadline for applications has been set at June 30. Mayor Guy Alongi said the council likely could approve a formal hire sometime in July and would review the position a year from now to assess its effectiveness.
Rental inspection ordinance finally passes
Du Quoin leaders also have approved an ordinance regulating inspections of rental properties in the city.
Commissioners voted Monday to approve regulations that would allow the Du Quoin Fire Department to provide the initial response whenever a report of a potential life-safety violation is made from rental property in the city. Anyone -- a tenant or an unattached third party -- is entitled to make a report on a property.
The fire department would then assess the situation and serve as a "check valve," in Alongi's words, and if cause is found, the city would have the power to order that the property's landlord obtain an inspection of the property.
An earlier version of the ordinance considered by the council would have required a complete inspection of any rental unit before it is rented to a new occupant, but council members deemed that policy to be too intrusive.
Action on the issue is in part a reaction to two condemnations over the past several months at the Elkhurst Apartments and the Midwest Inn, both of which were handled in ways very similar to what city leaders have now codified into ordinance. Alongi has said making the policy that worked in those instances part of city law will make obtaining future court orders simpler. He added that city leaders want to be as unobtrusive with the law as possible but that something needs to be done, because it costs tens of thousands of dollars to tear down a dilapidated property.
"We've had two bad instances with properties in Du Quoin that could cost the city a lot of money," Alongi said Monday, responding to concerns from property owners. "This is not an ordinance that's going to be invasive to landlords. If you're cooperating, it's not going to cost you anything at all."
Wright appointed to airport board
Commissioners also made several appointments to city boards Monday evening.
After voting to accept the resignation of Joshua Williams from the airport board, commissioners voted unanimously to appoint Kevin Wright to fill the remainder of Williams' term.
Also, commissioners voted to appoint Alex Thompson, Kyle Kelley, Chad Griffin and Dax Nevill as volunteer firefighters.
More from Monday's city council meeting will be included in Wednesday's issue of the Call.
