WILSON — The owners of a vacant house earmarked by the City of Wilson to be chronically vacant have been given time to make it livable.

At Monday’s meeting of the Wilson City Council, the owners of the home at 407 31st Street were given a 180 day extension during a chronically vacant determination hearing.

“We want to see that house back in service,” said Mayor Mike Peschka.

In other business:

• City clerk Susan Kriley said three property owners whose homes were determined to be chronically vacant have registered their homes and paid the fee required by the city. That leaves three other homes on the list. Those owners must register those homes with the city and pay the required fee by an April 30 deadline.

In a follow-up telephone interview Tuesday morning, Kriley noted the chronically vacant determination and the associated registration and annual fee is part of Ordinance 854. That ordinance was approved by the council in July 2020.

As per the ordinance, the owners of the homes listed as chronically vacant must register them with the city and pay a fee. The fee $50 for the first year, $100 for the second year, $200 for the third year, $400 for the fourth and succeeding years. If the fee isn’t paid, the city will take action to collect it.

The goal of the ordinance is to see these homes become livable again and hooked up to city utilities.

• Peschka said he and council member Chuck Crawford met with a contractor from Wichita recently. The contractor examined the city owned former Otasco building at 2504 Ave. E and will submit proposals for both complete and partial demolition of the building to the city. Peschka said one of the options will be to save the front facade of the building.

• During an update on city board of health violations, Peschka noted the city received a quote from a contractor to remove the small home at 411 28th Street. The quote was between $1,500 and $1,800. By consensus, the council gave the go ahead to start the removal.

Peschka said nine other properties have been identified by the board of health to be in violation. Kriley will send letters to the owners of those properties giving them notice of the violations.

• The council considered changing several items on the city fee service schedule but no action was taken. Those included raising the disconnect fee for non-payment of utilities, raising the amount baseball umpires receive, raising the fire protection fees and raising the fee charged to make copies at city hall and the Lang Memorial Library.

The council will revisit this matter next month and take action.

• A refuse waiver request for the property at 514 28th Street from May to November was approved.

• Peschka asked if the council should consider an island annexation of the five acre property north of Interstate 70 which once was the old Interstate House. Kansas Originals Market and Gallery also sits on the property. Peschka noted, however, the first step would be to find out what the process of annexation includes. No action was taken.

The next meeting of the Wilson City Council will be at 6 p.m. Monday, May 2, at city hall.