A home on St. Martin Street in St. Martinville is on its way to demolition after the St. Martinville City Council voted to give the owners of the house three months to tear down the blighted property. 

Planning and Zoning Director Otis Chatman said the city government had been receiving calls for several months regarding the condition of the house, located on 817 St. Martin St. near the St. Martin Parish Courthouse, that included grass issues, structural issues and a dog that lives there. 

The house is co-owned by members of a family, some of whom were present at Monday’s meeting to advocate for its demolition as well. 

“The cost to repair the house is more than the value, which is why we condemned it,” Chatman said. 

The council voted at last month’s meeting to condemn the house, which does not have electricity or power, and the council agreed that it should be torn down. 

“If the owners knew of the defects of the property, and that people are going in there, then they are all equally liable,” City Attorney Allan Durand said. “They have to either fix it or tear it down once it’s a nuisance.”

The council voted to give the owners three months to tear down the house, which the owners agreed to. If it is now demolished before that time, it will come back before the council for demolition. 

In other business, the council voted to approve an introductory ordinance for the 2026 fiscal budget that will be up for approval later this month. 

Although the ordinance is normal for any Louisiana municipality, it was notable due to the council passing it for the first time due to its new status under the Lawrason Act. 

Because voters approved to switch St. Martinville’s operating charter from a special charter to the more widely used Lawrason Act, the council and city officials have been learning to shift their operations to conform with the Lawrason procedures. 

Mayor Jason Willis said the change was an easy one to make, and should have been used bore.

“This is for every ordinance going forward,” he said. “It’ll give us a chance to publicize it and then we’ll adopt it (at a future meeting).”