By BOB SHRALUKA
WZBD.com
The first code enforcement issue of the new year came before Decatur’s board of works and safety at its January 21 meeting.
As a result, the owner (not identified) of the house at 615 N. Fifth St. was in line for a letter from the city giving the owner 10 days to comply with cleanup demands from the building/zoning department.
Brad Roe, the department’s assistant superintendent, told the board that the owner “had done fairly well” in earlier cleanup efforts, and was “given the benefit of the doubt.”

However, not everything was done … with more items added.
“Once he gets it cleaned up, pretty soon it’s right back; he just keeps dragging his feet,” Roe said.
Asked if he had any phone conversation with the owner, Roe said he has tried to call but with no success. The owner also did not appear at the meeting, although informed he should do so.
TRASH HIKE: The city’s contract with the Adams County Solid Waste District is seeing a 5% rate hike this year.
The increase is triggered by the Consumer Price Index under a formula worked out between the district and the city a few years ago.
So Decatur is now paying $57.25 per ton to the district, which ships the city’s trash/garbage to the Jay County Landfill south of Portland.