For The Times & Free Press

The owner of a dilapidated doublewide mobile home on the west side of Hennessey managed to get up the dander of Mayor Mike Shaw and all town board members Monday night.

Bonifacio Vargas, owner of the 302 W. Nebraska property, said he’d paid someone to fix the mobile home but he left without doing the work and now he doesn’t have the money to make repairs.

“That’s not our problem,” said Shaw. “You’ve had eight months to do something about it...We’ve had complaints since the day you moved it in there...I’m tired of this kind of sh - - .”

The mobile home has no water, sewer or electricity, has broken windows and is not skirted, the board was told.

“It’s not even tied down,” said Tiffany Tillman, town administrator and clerk.

What to Do?

“He needs to get it out of there in 10 days or be fined,” Shaw said to other board members.

Vargas, who said he lives south of town, told the board that he and his mother own eight lots there and he wants to get the trailer fixed so his son can live there.

“If we don’t do something about this tonight I’m coming to every board meeting and talking under citizen’s comments until you do something,” said Shaw, whose term on the board expires next month.

“He’ll do it, too,” said Vice Mayor Bert Gritz.

Shaw, who didn’t run for re-election and has served on the board for 12 years, said the board needs its lawyer to do something about these problems.

What Board Decided

Vargas again said he didn’t have the money to fix the mobile home, and didn’t have time away from his job to do it.

“Then get it out of the city limits!” said Shaw.

Vargas said he didn’t have the money to move it either.

After about 45 minutes, the board finally voted unanimously to give Vargas 30 days “to make significant improvements” and required him to appear before the board at its May 13 meeting.

Where is Property?

Before that vote, board members questioned where the property is located and were told it’s on Nebraska at Arapaho Street. Other mobile homes are also there.

Shaw said he couldn’t place where it’s located and others couldn’t either. Shaw called for an immediate recess and four of the five board members took two vehicles to the site.

Other Property Bad Too

About 15 minutes later Shaw called the meeting back to order.

“Who owns the trailer in the alley?” he asked Vargas.

“My mother,” he said.

“It’s 10 times worse than yours,” Shaw said, then turned to Tillman and said, “Get that on the public nuisance list tomorrow!”

“It’s unlivable,” said board member Wes Hardin. “We’ve got to take some action on this.”

Board members Keith Meek, Clif Vogt and Gritz agreed.

What if?

Vargas asked to give him 30 days.

Shaw said if they gave him 30 days to get water, sewer and electricity hooked up then “out of the kindness of his heart he’d get rid of the other (his mother’s) mobile home, they might go for that.”

Vargas said he didn’t have the money to do that.

“Is our (code enforcement) inspector working?” asked Shaw. “We’ve got to take care of these.”

Several Complaints

Tillman said they’d had several complaints from homeowners in that area about the property.

“It’s not fair to your neighbors to have it look like that,” Meek told Vargas. “You’ve got to be more considerate. You’ve let it set there for a long time.”

Meek, who saw the property before the meeting, asked Vargas: “How long has it been since you’ve been in there?”

Vargas said about three months.

Meek asked about water damage (due to roof and broken windows and rains).

Vargas said it wasn’t too bad.

If Work Not Done

The written notice from the town to Vargas states that if the property is still in violation of town codes that it may be removed by the town with the costs assessed against the owner.