QUINCY, Fla. (WTXL) - Police in Quincy are still searching for information regarding the deadly house fire in July.
Investigators say it left a father, a son, and one other person dead. We've learned they are following up on several leads and are offering up to a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.
That fire sparked a conversation about abandoned homes and buildings in the city. The city is starting by addressing their options for immediate action and changes to code enforcement at Tuesday's city commission meeting.
The city is proposing that the immediate action taken include reducing the time frame to get rid of dangerous buildings from 90 days to 45 days, shortening violation notice time from 180 days to 120, and addressing the homeless population.
Code amendment proposals include making it illegal to enter an abandoned building, remove or tamper with violation notices, and reduce the building appeal time frame.
While the city has plans in action right now, some neighbors are still apprehensive at the meeting's outcome.
"Some of those commissioner's have been sleep for so many years, that they haven't woken up yet," said Samuel Hawkins, a Quincy resident. "This issue should've been addressed years ago, not waiting until it becomes a problem, then address it. And now they're attempting to fix it or put a band aid on it."
Hawkin's says many neighbors have tried to buy the abandoned buildings in order to fix them up and decide who they want to rent them out to. But rules enacted by the city has made it tough for them to do so.
Many say they'll be Tuesday night's meeting. It starts at 6 p.m. at City Hall.
