The board of health voted unanimously Thursday to file orders to repair or demolish the properties at 606 E. Seventh St., and 363 W. 10th St. Housing Inspector Jarrod Richter said that the chimney at the West 10th Street property had partially collapsed and was still occasionally shedding bricks onto neighboring properties. (Photo by Morgan Ahart)

SALEM — The board of health approved orders to repair or demolish two more nuisance properties within the city in its meeting Thursday.

The board voted unanimously to file orders to repair or demolish through the courts for the residences at 606 E. Seventh St. and 363 W. 10th St., both of which Housing Inspector Jarrod Richter said have been condemned and have structural issues.

Richter said that the East Seventh Street residence was an ongoing issue prior to his time with the department, and that he had first been called to the residence as part of a wellness check by an unknown family member in February.

“The fire department attempted to make entry; they retreated and put respirators on with supplied air because it was too bad to go [inside]. They went into the house and retrieved a gentleman off the bathroom floor. This was on a Tuesday, and he’d been there since Saturday. He did recover. Family members that were living in the house left him there,” said Richter. “Looking in, the porch the roof is gone, you can see outside, you can’t walk through the house, there’s probably a thousand issues inside the house we don’t even know about, but there was plenty to condemn it then. There are also structural issues on the outside that you can see and probably more inside. We’ve done everything we can to try get him to fix the house and clean it up, it’s got rodents in it and is a breeding ground for them.”

Richter said that the man had since left a residential care facility against its advice and was now living in his car on the property’s driveway. Richter also said Housing Inspector Rich Snyder had “gone above and beyond,” working with local community organizations and church groups to organize resources and safe housing for the man which he refused.

The meeting was originally set to be attended by an official from Columbiana County Children Services as a child is allegedly living in the residence with another family member who are “coming and going at night” to evade officials; however, that official was not in attendance for an unknown reason.

Richter said that the East 10th Street property, which is partially owned by former City Councilman Steve Faber, has also been an ongoing issue, and that the chimney has partially collapsed and is still occasionally shedding bricks onto neighboring properties, creating “a really dangerous situation.”

“Parts of the chimney are falling into the neighbor’s yard so now they can’t park in their driveway or enjoy their yard because every once in a while, another brick falls. Well, if it falls on someone, they’re dead or severely injured. We’ve had no word, no nothing from him so our only option is to move forward with an order to repair or demolish through the court,” said Richter.

Richter said Faber has refused to respond to any of the department’s attempts to speak with him about the property both in writing and in person, noting that he and Snyder had attempted to speak with him at the Memorial Building and Health Commissioner Kayla Crowl noting that the department had sent both property owners three letters which had been unanswered. He also said that when people were hired who partially cleared out the residence, they “left everything in the yard,” and left the residence unsecured, eventually forcing the city to secure the property.

“Through repeated attempts to get him to lock it up and do everything he refused, and refused and refused, finally we had to have the fire department come and secure the house and it’s sat like that,” said Richter.

When contacted regarding the order, Faber said that he had no comment at that time Thursday evening.

The board of health will meet next at 2 p.m. on Aug. 20.