The New Iberia City Council took up discussing the possibility of demolishing several dilapidated homes at Tuesday’s City Council meeting as the city continues their effort to deal with blighted properties across town.

Building Inspector Matt Gulotta discussed the dangerous conditions of properties located at 700 San Jacinto Circle, 722 Hopkins St., 840 Weeks St., 519 Silver St., 614 Lombard St. and 812 Vicnaire St. at the meeting, which are all in need of drastic repair or demolition.

Mayor Freddie DeCourt said the city had budgeted $450,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds to demolish property in town that local residents said were in need of demolition.

“If you have a piece of property you want demolished and if it meets our requirements, we’ll do it for free with the ARPA money,” DeCourt said.

Between those funds and a state grant that the city is pursuing for additional demolition funds, DeCourt said the city is in the process of waiting for those processes to be closed.

“The state is not fast,” he said. “In the meantime, Matt and I talked and we’re going to start cranking up these demos again, not overload the system but make some effort.”

The properties mentioned were the first of that batch that were shown to be in bad condition and could be put up for public hearing in the future.

Gulotta said the home on San Jacinto Circle is one of the worst in the area.

“It’s just in bad shape and it’s time for the owner to step up and fix it or for us to take care of it for them,” Councilwoman Brooke Marcotte said.

The house on Hopkins Street has been a longtime eyesore, with Councilman Marlon Lewis saying he almost wished an emergency demolition could take place.

“I’ve been getting serious calls on that one,” he said.

All of the properties had similar stories, but the council emphasized that the owners could make the demolition themselves for cheaper if they were interested.