Nesquehoning officials hope to have some answers regarding the future of four burned buildings on the 200 block of West Catawissa Street in the very near future.

On Wednesday, Nesquehoning Mayor Tom Kattner asked for a status update on those structures, which burned on Christmas day, because as the weather gets warmer, people are going to be out walking and those structures could create a hazard.

Councilwoman Suzanne Smith said that the last thing she had heard was the insurance companies for the homeowners were still doing investigations.

She pointed out that three of the four building owners had insurance so the process can’t move forward until the insurance companies release money.

“So the question is, are they still safe structures?” Councilman Paul Kattner asked, adding that if someone is walking on the sidewalk in front of them and part of it falls, there could be a big problem.

“I did notice that with the snow and the wet moisture that it’s drooping, drooping, drooping,” Smith said, suggesting the borough block off the sidewalks for the time being. “The one where it (the fire) originated is my biggest concern because it does have that overhang that people have to walk under.”

Tom Kattner asked if there was a way to give the homeowners a deadline to give the borough answers on what they are doing with the structures.

Solicitor Robert Yurchak suggested they ask the borough code enforcement officer to begin looking at thing and give the owners an option to tear it down or fix it up in a certain amount of time.

“If we keep waiting on them to respond, it’s not going to happen. They’ll just keep dragging their feet,” he said.

Paul Kattner said that the borough had a call the other day from someone hearing animals in the structures.

“Once it warms up, kids will be in there,” Councilwoman Lois Kuba said.

Council agreed to have the code enforcement officer start the paperwork in the hopes of getting action on the properties soon.