WEST LOGAN - Members of the West Logan Town Council discussed possible solutions to a long term problem at Monday night's December Council meeting - abandoned homes and structures that have fallen into disrepair.

The conversation came up when Mayor Darren Akers discussed a proposal to get some help from the county in disposing of a small mountain of rubbish from a local residence.

Akers said the county may be able to help out by offering labor assistance from inmates at the Southwestern Regional Jail who routinely do clean ups across the county on one of the sites. In recent weeks town employees Glen Dingess and Les Finley spent about four hours hauling garbage away from another residence and Mayor Akers recommended billing the resident.

"They moved and left a bunch of garbage behind. The street department had to clean it up because it was a public nuisance. We didn't want rats getting into it and becoming a health problem," Akers said. "I think they owe the town for the clean up and I think we need to send them a bill."

Akers noted that there is a bigger problem, however in that one stretch of hillside along Second Avenue has several abandoned and dilapidated structures, one of which is in such disrepair with sagging ceilings and fallen away walls that it is unlivable.

Akers said the town needed to look into doing something about the dilapidated structures which could pose health and safety problems.

Town attorney Dan Dahill and others present at the December Council meeting discussed how the city of Logan had handled the same problem.

In Logan, the city put together a committee, found the names of property owners and contacted them asking them to clean up their property or warning the city would do it and file a lien on them in court for payment.

West Logan councilmembers agreed it might be worthwhile to looking into doing something similar.

"Could we send them letters asking them to either clean the property up, or donate it over to the town for demolition?" Akers asked Dahill.

Dahill said that was what Logan had done, but noted Logan had more funds available to do clean ups and demolition jobs.

Akers said it might be possible for West Logan to get grants for demolition or clean ups, noting the Pioneer Hotel demolition project was funded by grant money. Akers noted that many of the dilapidated structures are owned by people who still pay taxes on them.

The topic first came up during last month's city council meeting, when Dahill said he would talk with the Logan County Commission about getting help to tear one of the structures down as "public eyesores."