published: Wednesday, December 26, 2012

City OKs funding for wall demolition

By SAMANTHA GHOLAR

sgholar@newssun.com

SEBRING -- City council members unanimously passed a consent agenda item Tuesday evening that appropriated the funds for the demolition of the retaining wall that surrounds Gingerlee Mitchelllindo's property at 503 E. Center Ave.

After a very lengthy dispute, the city has been granted permission by the courts to demolish the wall.

In late November, Mitchelllindo filed for a temporary injunction against the City of Sebring, Civil Surv Engineering and Highlands County. Mitchelllindo hoped that once granted, the injunction would allow her time to file her many civil cases against the city, engineering firm, the county and other individuals involved with the initial surveying of her wall.

Assistant City Administrator Bob Hoffman spoke to the News-Sun last week, describing the next steps in the City's plan regarding the wall.

"The council approved the appropriation of funds from the city's contingency fund at Tuesday night's meeting," Hoffman said.

After bids were sent in and looked over by city staff, Excavation Point was hired to do the project last week.

"The court order allows them to go in and slope the land to get it at the right level after the wall is taken down," Hoffman said. "The engineering company out of Polk County, Civil Surv, will supervise the project. They will stabilize the wall that remains so that they can slope it to keep any land out of city streets and sidewalks."

The demolition of Mitchelllindo's wall will cost the City just over $12,000. Hoffman had no set date for the project, but the city has made it clear the job needs to be done very soon.

"We don't care when it gets done but it just needs to be during the school holiday. We've asked (the company) that they be conscious of the buses and children that will be there during the school year so they understand that the job needs to be completed before the holiday break is over," Hoffman said.

The city expects the job to be completed within the next three weeks.

The court order allows the city to demolish both the retaining walls along East Center Avenue across from Sebring Middle School and along Orange Avenue