Chester City Council continues to clean-up the community and tighten any ordinances whose language might stand in the way of cleaning up unsightly or dangerous property. Council adopted Ordinance 2025-4 at its Monday, May 5 meeting.
Ordinance 2025-4 gives the City the authority to deal with the accumulation and require the disposal of garbage, refuse, debris and other hazards on public and private property for the protection of the safety and health of the residents of the City of Chester. The ordinance deals with both lots and premises. The City has the right to inspect lots, properties and premises which appear to be non-compliant. If the property is deemed to be non-compliant the city will issue a written notice served by personal service, registered mail or certified mail. A notice will also be posted in a conspicuous place on the offending property. The responsible person shall then be given ten days to rectify the situation.
If the responsible person does not comply with the notice within the prescribed time, the City has the authority to abate the condition and collect the costs plus ten percent of all costs as a fine.
The property owner may request a hearing provided that he files with the City of Chester within ten days of receiving the notice, a written petition requesting the hearing and the grounds. The hearing must be held within 30 days after the petition was filed unless postponed for sufficient cause. After the hearing the City shall sustain, modify or overrule the petition. The first offense carries a fine of $100.00; second offense – $250.00; and third and subsequent offenses $500.00. In the event that the property owner fails to remedy the situation, the action taken by the City may include, but is not limited to, liens upon the lot, property or premises.
Ordinance 2025-4 also amends the article dealing with mobile homes and mobile homes park by expanding guidance as to the definition of both. Mobile home park means any building, trailer or structure used for dwelling pusposes and equipped with wheels or other means to facilitate movement fom place to place and any motor vehicle when used for living or sleeping purposes that is not placed on a fixed foundation with proper skirting. Examples of a “mobile home” include but are not limited to Recreational Vehicles (RV’s), trailers, campers or house boats.
Mobile home park means any land, collection of land, parcel or collection of parcels of land used or intended to be used for the accommodation of more than one mobile home. It shall not include a sales lot in which mobile homes are parked for the purpose of inspection for sale. This includes RV Parks, Camps and Campgrounds.
In other business, Council:
**Accepted receipts of $255,038.60 into the General Fund;
**Paid bills of $147,914.77 out of the General Fund;
**Placed receipts of $4,185.00 into the Building Fund;
**Paid bills of $635.47 out of the Building Fund;
**Sent the 2025 paving project out to bid;
**Bid 3 voluntary homes for demo/asbestos;
**Passed the 1st reading of the junk ordinance;
**Approved the replacement of the trash can emblem. Ten will be needed at a cost of $45/each;
**Approved the support agreement with Mountaineer Computer Systems, Inc.;
**Approved payment of $794.88 for the annual Municipal League Dues;
**Learned that the gym and multi-purpose room floor has been redone;
