Improvements made at trailer court

Ranch Trailer Court?s mobile home park license has been renewed through the end of the year.

During Monday?s meeting of the Fairfield City Council, Sharon Schoppman, who owns the trailer court with her husband Mitch, informed city officials of the nuisances that have been abated in compliance with the probationary license granted in December.

City attorney John Morrissey reported two of the worst offenses ? a burnt trailer and a partially deconstructed trailer ? were removed from the property, and the Schoppmans were sent a letter in June detailing additional steps that needed to be taken.

Schoppman said gravel has since been put down, open windows on abandoned trailers have been sealed with plastic and a local person has been contracted for lawn maintenance.

?Pretty much everything that has been asked to be done, has been done,? she said. ?We?re doing everything to keep the park open. Unfortunately, the longer the permit keeps getting extended, every time I talk to somebody about wanting to move in, they hear rumors, ?It?s being closed,? ?It?s being condemned,? ?It?s being taken over by the park,? so trying to get new tenants in has been a battle the last couple months.?

The Schoppmans currently own five trailers at the 56-lot park. Another 35 lots are filled with renters, leaving several completely empty.

?We?ve had a long road with this, but I think there has been some movement in the direction that we?ve asked,? Mayor Ed Malloy said.

The license was renewed 5-1, with councilman Ron Adam voting against renewal.

In the future, Schoppman hopes to obtain titles to the abandoned trailers so they can be renovated or removed. She also expressed plans to install new water lines and pave the driveways.

The council also met Monday with Michael Goodman, the owner of a house the city has been pushing to either renovate or condemn and demolish.

After several years out of the state, Goodman has returned and said he is prepared to focus on renovating the home at 603 North B St. He has spent the past week clearing the inside of the house and is in the process of obtaining bids to repair the roof and porch.

For the complete article, see the Wednesday, July 15, 2009, printed edition of The Fairfield Ledger.