Crossville City Council will consider a resolution Tuesday to allow the city attorney to handle the city’s condemnation cases.
In condemnation cases, a government entity can take private property for public use, even if the property owner does not want to sell. City Attorney Randy York said all four of the city’s current condemnation cases are through the state for state projects. York said the state has been handling the cases, but can no longer do so.
“They (State) have reached the point where they say that because of the contracts that were entered into earlier, they can’t handle these, and so I need to take them back,” York said. “And so I just feel like we needed a resolution to authorize me to handle those.”
York mentioned that two of the four cases are close to a settlement. York said the condemnation cases are several years old.
“It normally takes seven to ten years to finish up,” York said. “And so you don’t even really start your condemnation work until the project is completed.”
York said one condemnation case is regarding an easement for the Highway 127 project. York said he has a conflict of interest in the case.
“I’ve talked to the city attorney for Monterey and Livingston, Evan Wright,” York said. “He is agreeable to handling this one case, and I would ask that you allow him to handle it.”
York said he is slated to begin handling the cases on September 3.
