Algood City Council continued discussions about the future of the White Plains House Tuesday night.
Council approved up to $12,000 in matching funds for a grant that would help cover the cost of repairs needed to reopen the house. While the property’s future remains uncertain, Mayor Lisa Chapman-Fowler suggested that the city provide the matching funds for now.
“Until we make a decision more final about what we want to do, I think to allow them to go ahead and apply for the grant would be a good idea,” Chapman-Fowler said. “A $12,000 match is certainly less than what we are used to.”
Algood City Administrator Keith Morrison said the city is considering donating or selling the property to the state as a historic site, which would make the state responsible for major repairs. While either option would ease the city’s financial burden, Morrison noted that both processes would take a significant amount of time to complete.
“If you donate it to the state is about a two-year process,” Morrison said. “It has to go through the state legislature, it has to be approved to be accepted as a state historic site, and we would all have to bring you an approval of what the terms of that agreement are. The other option also requires an agreement, but we could sell it for fair market value to the state, which also requires the legislature to approve, and it is a five-year process.”
Morrison said the state will evaluate the house, noting that it requires an estimated $100,000 in repairs, including a new floor and roof. The council questioned what the city plans to do in the meantime, since either option could take several years. Morrison responded that the city will need to take action.
“We are gonna need to do something, or at this point we are gonna have to keep it closed until we can fix the floor,” Morrison said. “Once we get the floor fixed, the electrical, and some of the other (repairs) can be prioritized as funding is available, and just try to chip away at it with additional grants, or the city is gonna have to pay to fix it if you don’t want to go the state historic route and you want to keep it.”
Morrison said the city purchased the property nearly 10 years ago for an estimated $250,000 and has invested significantly more to maintain it. Chapman-Fowler added that she would like to see the city recover some of the money it has spent on the property.
“It was a great idea, I guess, at first,” Chapman-Fowler said. “We were going to have these events, and you know, make it available for photography sessions, and all of that, but the house has become in such bad condition that we have not been able to do anything with it.”
Council Member Luke Hill said he is undecided about whether the city should donate or sell the property, but added that he would like the city to retain some ownership or control over it.
“If we can find options to retain it versus selling it, the risks of somebody, you know, buying it and raising it, I don’t like that idea,” Hill said. “So if we can get the state to take ownership and be responsible for it and make it great, I think that is the best option.”
Morrison noted that the city would remain responsible for operating costs even if the property is transferred to the state.
The council raised several questions about the requirements the city would need to meet in a potential partnership with the state. Morrison said he will seek additional information from the state so the council has answers before deciding the home’s future.
In other business, the council approved to receive a $250 Cybersecurity reimbursement grant from Public Entity Partners.
The council approved updating several ordinances in the city’s code book. The new codes come from the 2024 Edition of the International Building Code book. The updates included building codes, existing building codes, fire codes, fuel gas codes, mechanical codes, plumbing codes, and residential codes.
