New ordinance bolsters Town of Phil Campbell’s ability to eliminate dangerous buildings/structures

As the ongoing saga with the 10-partition dilapidated downtown building continues with no resolution, the Phil Campbell City Council approved a new ordinance to deal with unsafe and rundown buildings in the future.

The council unanimously approved the new ‘Unsafe Structures and Dangerous Buildings’ ordinance at its February 17th meeting.

The ordinance was drafted by Phil Campbell City Attorney Nathan Johnson after his review of similar ordinancesin neighboring towns.

Although Phil Campbell does not have a building inspector, the new ordinance vests the authority to enforce violations with any ‘appropriate municipal official,’ including any building inspections officer hired in the future, the fire marshal, a police officer and any other town official or employee designated by the mayor.

The new ordinance gives specific definitions for what constitutes an unsafe and/or dangerous building and lays out the procedure for a city official to take in these cases.

After the property owner receives notice of the alleged violation, he or she has the option to repair the building/structure within 45 days, or submit plans for repairs that will bring the building into compliance.

When violations go unresolved, the town has the option to repair the property, with a lien for the cost to be placed against it, or to demolish the building/structure if not feasible to make repairs.

The property owner may contest the notice as well, and the matter will be set for a public hearing.

Phil Campbell Councilwoman Lynn Landers, in her 14th year on the council, said the ordinance is an important step toward addressing dangerous buildings/structures in the community.

“It’s going to give us the ability to legally pursue and even enforce fines, if litigation is required in the future. It applies not only to businesses, but dilapidated houses and other structures too,” Landers said.

“This is something we’ve really needed and it will help resolve these issues through a clearly defined process,” she added.

The issue of dilapidated/unsafe buildings was significant in last year’s mayoral and city council elections, particularly as to the 10-partition building on Broad Street in downtown.

That property, owned by Al Cartee and some family members, has been in a state of disrepair for more than a decade.

There is one business operating in the building, Gigi’s, and another partition that was recently sold. Landers said the buyer plans to open a Mexican restaurant in that partition where the cafe was.

While the town did pursue a compliance petition against Cartee in Phil Campbell Municipal Court in 2025, that case remains pending after multiple continuances from days it was set for hearing.

Talks with Cartee about the city purchasing the building continue, but have been complicated due to liens against the property that would have to be satisfied before any transfer of ownership could occur.

Phil Campbell Mayor Greg Williams has said the town needs a building inspector, but there has not been one hired as of March 2026.

If the town does acquire the property, the fronts of each partition will have to be inspected. If they are unstable, they’ll have to be repaired or demolished if repair is not cost feasible.

There are also issues about structural integrity of the back and side walls of each partition. The extent of these is unknown because town officials have not been permitted access inside the partitions to inspect them.

The town’s new ordinance allows the appropriate municipal official to inspect any building, wall or structure about which a complaint is filed, so access won’t be an issue moving forward.