The Maplesville Town Council held a public hearing at its regular meeting Monday for two properties deemed nuisances because of their appearance.

The council discussed Lot 6 on Mobile Street (owned by Douglas McArthur and Rhonda Hall) first and determined it is now in compliance with Ordinance No. 129 Section 1A, which prohibits buildings whose appearances detract from the surrounding area or buildings with a safety hazard such as excessive undergrowth.

“It’s cleaned up,” Mayor W.C. Hayes said. “That place is OK and they have fulfilled everything.”

The council then discussed Lot 7 on Mobile Street (owned by Emmett Perry Wood and Timothy R. Mims) and decided its cleanup is not yet complete.

Council members gave Hayes the authority to determine when compliance has been completed and approved for the property owners to have until the next council meeting on April 8.

After seeing minimal improvement on the properties following verbal and written notifications, the council voted in January to grant the property owners until Feb. 11 to clean the properties.

Neither property was completely finished, resulting in the council voting Feb. 12 to hold the public hearing March 11 in hopes of resolving the issue.

If the owners of Lot 7 do not comply with the ordinance by April 8, the situation could be handled in municipal court and fees assessed to the owners’ property taxes for violating the ordinance.

“By the next council meeting, it better be done,” Hayes said.

In police department business, the council approved Jeremy Marlow as a reserve police officer and accepted the resignation of full-time officer Casey O’Farril.

O’Farril was a reserve officer in Maplesville for two years prior to being hired as a full-time officer in April 2012.

Chief Todd Ingram said O’Farril was offered and accepted a position with the Helena Police Department. His last day of employment in Maplesville will be Thursday, March 14.

Ingram said his department will have three full-time officers, plus a handful of part-time officers, until O’Farril’s position is filled.

Ingram said he is currently taking applications and conducting interviews for the position. After this process is complete, he will recommend one applicant to the council for approval.

Ingram sought the council’s permission Monday to hire Keith Avery and Bridgette Ellis as part-time officers until a fourth full-time officer is hired.

The council approved the hiring of Avery and Ellis as part-time officers effective March 11.