The possibility of the city taking over Kewanee’s three trailer parks and cleaning them up was raised at Monday’s City Council meeting.
That idea came up during a council discussion of an unpaid water bill owed for the former Reecy’s Trailer Park on West Sixth Street, Reecy’s East on Lake Street and Southwind Mobile Estates on Cole Street.
At least two former owners of the trailer parks have let the properties go back to the bank. Officials at that bank, the First Secure Community Bank of Sugar Grove, Ill., have asked the city to waive the water bill so they can offer the trailer park properties at a more attractive price.
Mayor Gary Moore said the bill is for nearly $200,000, and added, “I don’t really like the idea of waiving any amount of that water fee.”
Moore added, “The risk was taken on by the bank,” and he doesn’t think the taxpayers should have to pay the bill.
Council members seemed to agree’s with Moore’s opposition to waiving the water bill.
If the city forecloses on the property, it could go through the trailer parks and remove dilapidated trailers and cut down trees and brush.
Council members said squatters are living in some of the abandoned trailers. And City Manager Gary Bradley noted that in all three parks, there are residents who have continued to pay rent — and have the receipts to prove it.
“It’s hard to tell somebody like that that they don’t have a place to live,” Bradley said.
If the city decides to pursue foreclosure, the process would take several months, Moore said.
Meanwhile, the trailer park properties are in receivership. The Shapiro Real Estate Group of West Bloomfield, Mich. was appointed as receivers for the property, and reportedly has taken steps to remedy the problems there.
City community development officer Keith Edwards said earlier this week that the Shapiro Group hired a firm to empty trash bins for trailer park residents, and has hired a landscaping firm to begin cleaning up scrap trees and weeds.
