Venice City Council met on April 20 at the Tyrone Echols Community Center. The first public comment came from Allison Terrell, who asked about the store and apartment construction. Mayor Phillip White Jr. said they were waiting on soil remediation results for the store and should break ground in 3 weeks. Terrell then asked for the potholes on Brown Street to be filled. White said that is not a problem. Karen Johnson thanked the street department for cleaning out the sewers. Johnson said her basement did not flood for the first time during the heavy rains the previous week. Finally, Karen Sanders asked if trash cans and benches could be added to the bus stops to cut down on the amount of litter on the streets. Sanders said she would not want to move into the new apartments if the town is “trashy”.
There were two building inspections and two health inspections since the last meeting. The police department is still tagging and towing abandoned or inoperable vehicles. Demolitions are occurring in two blocks in the city of condemned or abandoned properties.
Sanitation and Health Committee Chair Orzella Gregory asked if the new humane officer could do something about the groundhogs that are killing dogs in her ward. White said that he would have the humane officer look into it. Buildings and grounds chair Babette Mosby Roshell said the investigation is still ongoing with the Logan Street fire. She also asked the city to make the homeowner clear his belongings off the public sidewalk. White said he will let the health inspector know since it is a safety hazard and the city will be paid by the insurance company to demolish the property after the investigation…