The Burnet County Commissioners recently indicated they have lost almost all of their patience with one privately- owned property filled with piles of de bris due west on Texas 29.
During the near future, the owner and occupiers at 208 Deer Springs between Maggie Lane and Spring Creek must abate health and safety hazards and “nuisances” on their property or face consequences, County Attorney Eddie Arredondo told the commissioners during the May 14 meeting.
“We have been working on the problem for quite a long time,” Arredondo said.
During several previous months, the owner and occupiers have been warned repeatedly to “alleviate all nuisances,” Environmental Deputy Paul Kowalik told the commissioners.
“They have been very cooperative,” Kowalik said. “But (the property) has not been improved at all. He (one of the owners) just moves things around. They are never going to get it cleaned up.”
Thus, the commissioners authorized Kowalik to enter the property, show an offi cial notice to the owner to indicate the county will allow the property “one last opportunity” for a proper cleanup.
Otherwise, the county has authority to conduct its own cleanup of the property, Arredondo said.
“If we do it, it will be done properly,” Kowalik said.
In fact, after county officials complete the cleanup, the owner must pay the county for removal costs, he added.
Otherwise, county officials could place a lien on the property, effectively giving the county the right to control access to the property.
“They (the owner and occupiers) are already aware of what could happen,” Kowalik added. “But we will go to them again, and tell them – we are coming.”
