COLUMBIANA – Residents of 100 Inverness Apartment Homes may have to take matters into their own hands to get a pile of trash cleaned up at the property.

A resident of the complex, Karen Delimater, addressed the Shelby County Commission about the matter at its meeting on Monday, June 26.

Delimater hoped county officials may be able to help with the issue but was told residents pursuing a court order would be her best hope.

Delimater said a “trash mound” has been festering at the apartment complex since mid-May and called the situation a “serious health issue.”

“Surely there’s something that can be done,” she said.

Shelby County Manager Alex Dudchock said county officials have assessed the situation and contacted representatives of the company that manages the apartments but have not been able to work out a solution.

However, the county has no legal standing to attempt to abate the problem, County Attorney Butch Ellis said during the meeting, opining based on his knowledge of the situation that it does not rise to the level of a public nuisance.

Ellis said private parties could seek a court order for abatement.

In other business, the commission:

-Heard a request from Wilsonville Mayor Lee McCarty for help with funding a project to improve a bridge on Alabama 25 between his town and Columbiana. McCarty said the Alabama Department of Transportation is willing to perform the $1.2-million project but requires $500,000 from the town. McCarty said he would like the county to help with the $500,000 price tag because of the stress it would create on the town’s budget. McCarty said improvements to the roadway have made the bridge a more significant problem because vehicles approaching it are traveling at a higher rate of speed. “The last time I was here, two trucks knocked each other’s mirrors off,” McCarty said. “It happens all the time.”

-Heard from Manager of Community Services Reginald Holloway about a potential merge of Shelby Iron Works with the Shelby County Historical Society. Holloway said Shelby Iron Works volunteers have expressed difficulty meeting the demands of the museum and affiliated events without new membership. Any merge would be worked out between the two organizations. The county’s stake in the situation is that the two organizations have contractual obligations to the county, including maintaining records.

-Heard from County Engineer Randy Cole that milling would be performed on Caldwell Mill Road during the week of July Fourth. The process will cause traffic delays.

-Heard from Water Services Department Manager Michael Cain about a recent Consumer Confidence Report, in which the county’s system was in compliance with regulations.