Spencer City Officials, Volunteers Aim To Improve City’s Image

There's an all-hands on deck effort underway in one metro community as they work to eliminate blighted buildings.

The effort in Spencer began a couple of months ago. Clean up has already begun at two properties located within the city.

“If you’re going to go forth economically, you have to have a clean community in neighborhoods, in commercial areas and in industrial areas,” said Huey P. Long, Spencer city manager.

Long said there is a surge of development heading east of the metro. It is a surge city officials want in on.

“There is literally not a day that doesn’t go by that we are not being contacted by real estate people developers, and business interest,” said Long.

Tackling blight began with around 90 notifications sent to residents. Efforts are now focused on bigger problem areas.

Volunteers, even city leaders have already gotten started.

“We have an inmate population that works with our public works department,” said Long.  “We are mobilizing those employees getting permission through Department of Corrections (DOC) to use them to go in and clean up those properties.”

With quite a bit of motivation and two properties already cleaned up, the sky is the limit.

“It would mean a tremendous amount to every single citizen of Spencer,” said Tonni Canady, Spencer city councilwoman. “All the people that come through our town would see that something is happening out here.”

Extra taxpayer dollars have yet to be spent, except when it comes time to get a contractor.