The former site of the Missouri Career Center in Jefferson City looks similar to how it did May 23. The parking lot and adjacent property are littered with debris, glass and roof shingles. Barricades and "keep out" signs block one of two entrances.
The property at 1716 Four Seasons Drive - between Christy Drive and Tanner Bridge Road - was hit by the May 22 tornado that damaged hundreds of buildings in Jefferson City. Up the hill, Jefferson City Winsupply, whose building also was beyond repair after the tornado, is rebuilding with plans to reopen at the end of November.
The Four Seasons Drive property is owned by JCMO LLC out of Breese, Illinois, according to MidMoGIS. The News Tribune was unable to reach a representative of the company.
It's one of several properties in Jefferson City that remain in violation of city code following the tornado.
For more than two months after the tornado, the Jefferson City Code Enforcement Department was lenient about nuisance compliance with property owners whose buildings in the affected area did not pose a life-safety issue, said Dave Helmick, Jefferson City's housing and property inspector.
But now, the city has resumed normal code enforcement in the area.
"At first, the directive was 'We're not going to go through and go after the owners of the buildings right away,'" Helmick said. "We'll give them time to fix it."
In July, the city proceeded to investigate nuisances that were reported in the tornado area, he said.
There were 15 active security violations, 153 noxious weed and vegetation violations, and 96 trash violations in the tornado area as of Friday, Helmick said.
City code defines a nuisance as an "unlawful act" or seven other conditions, including things that are offensive to the senses, that offend decency and that violate the property maintenance code. Residents can report nuisances by contacting City Hall or use the city's code enforcement website.
When the city receives nuisance reports, inspectors are sent to investigate the area, also noting any issues in the neighborhood, Helmick said.
Compliance for nuisance violations means a secure building has exterior doors, windows or hatchways blocked that prevent unauthorized ground-level entry, according to city code. Trash, refuse, junk and abandoned materials must also be cleared, and weeds or vegetation more than 12 inches tall must be cut.
Since August, housing and property inspectors have become more proactive about building security, noxious weeds and trash in the area, Helmick said.
"We understand that it takes time to get insurance money," he said. "It takes time to get a plan together. After two months we started focusing on all the complaint-driven issues in the storm area."
After viewing the site of the former career center last week, he said, he determined the building was not secure. The city has not heard from the property owner, he added.
Neither the Missouri Office of Administration nor the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development, which oversees the state's career centers, has heard what the owner's plans are for the building.
The career center will be relocated in Jefferson City, said Lisa Elrod, senior manager for service and delivery with MDHEW.
"We have chosen not to wait for that owner to rebuild that location," Elrod said.
High nuisance violations
in tornado-damaged area
Nuisance and security violations remain an issue in the tornado-affected area, Helmick said.
The city has done six abatements, correcting code violations themselves, in the tornado-impacted area after not hearing from property owners since the twister, he said
The code enforcement division divides the tornado-damaged areas into two sections.
One section begins at the Missouri Special Olympics Training for Life Campus, at 305 Special Olympics Drive off Missouri 179 and Christy Drive, and routes to Stadium Boulevard.
The second section is marked from East Capitol Avenue back to Stadium Boulevard.
For most violations, the city sends a letter to the property owner with a 10-day deadline to correct the violation.
More than 30 violation letters - most for residential violations - were sent for the area last week, Helmick said.
"There will be a lot more coming out of that area very soon as far as enforcement letters," Helmick said. "As people are cleaning up their own properties, they want their neighbors and they want other people in the neighborhood to clean up as well. So we're having an influx of calls and emails. But we've had very good compliance. The city runs above 97 percent compliance from letters."
The best thing property owners can do is contact the city and let them know their plans for demolition or rebuilding, he said.
"Just because we are sending the letters and are doing the enforcement in that area, it really comes down to communication and letting us know what they're working on," Helmick said. "If we don't hear anything, then we have to assume that they're not going to work on it and they're not going to comply."
Property owners also may appeal a violation. If the city abates the issue, property owners are charged for the maintenance as well as issued a $250 administrative fee. Other penalties may include a misdemeanor charge, a municipal fee up to $500 or up to six months in the county jail.
Beginning Tuesday, the city will begin mailing letters to register buildings in the tornado area to the city's vacant structure registration program.
A vacant structure is any building that has been left for more than 90 days and fits two of nine additional conditions, according to the city code. Some of those conditions include if the structure is a potential hazard or danger to people, is the site of loitering or has taxes in arrears to the city exceeding one year.
Currently, 114 properties are on the list, which was updated before the tornado, Helmick said. Those properties are checked once a month by code enforcement.
Property owners who have not applied for repair building permits or demolition permits must register their structure, Helmick said.
A $200 semi-annual registration fee is charged to property owners for abandoned properties, according to city code. The next billing period will be April 2020, he said.
"If it's somebody whose property is empty but they're taking care of the weeds, they're taking care of the trash and they're maintaining security, they will not receive one of these," Helmick said. "If they do receive one of these and they have plans, what they need to do is call us, tell us what those plans are, and we can get them the permits that they need."
Residents have complained the city has not given them enough time to collaborate with their insurance or form a plan for their property, he said.
The city plans to work with residents as long as officials are aware of property plans, he added.
"All that we ask is that the actions are commenced," Helmick said. "Once they start on it, it puts the violation on hold until they either finish - then it's compliant - or they stop, they don't do anything else. Then at that point, we would send them a second notice saying, 'Hey, you need to keep moving on this. We're looking for it to be secure, clean and safe.' Without any kind of communication from the owners of those properties, we have to assume nothing's being done."