Viroqua's demolition ordinance missing

When the city of Viroqua received requests for demolition permits for two properties on Railroad Avenue recently, it was discovered that no demolition ordinance was on the books.

City administrator John Severson said the demolition ordinance was passed by the city in November of 2005, but got overlooked in the citys code book.

When the council went through and changed almost all of Chapter 15[.04], the building code, the electrical code, the plumbing code, this was a part of it, and it was like we forgot we had it, city attorney David Jenkins said. The building inspector and the city clerk continued to use the permit, in this actually called ordinance, and I think, inadvertently was repealed when Chapter 15[.04] was largely redone.

The revision to the code book was done in April 2008.

Jenkins said it was a procedure and an ordinance that had been in effect, but technically was not anymore, due most likely to error.

So, even though this wasnt in the code, we were following this code anyway? alderman Terry Noble asked.

As far as the building inspector and the application of the time, Severson said.

Viroqua City Clerk Lori Polhamus discovered the oversight.

When these come in, I was sending them right out when I realized it wasnt even on the code, this is where this all came about, Polhamus said.

Since the ordinance was not technically in effect for the two demolition permits at Railroad Avenue, the council passed that earlier in the meeting by a resolution.

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Viroqua's demolition ordinance missing