We applaud Bogalusa City Council’s decision Tuesday night to give local businessman Jim Adams additional time to clean up his property before the Council votes to condemn.

Adams owns Adams & Associates, an air conditioning and heating business on Memphis Street. The back of the business burned on Feb. 8, 2014, and Adams suffered $3 million loss in inventory, including 275,000 of merchandise on consignment.

Adams offered an impassioned plea at the Council meeting. Council members noted Adams fell ill during the time he was cleaning up the property.

Members of the audience also voiced their support of Adams at the meeting. Adams later said the show of support from the community tugged at his heartstrings.

Some buildings around Bogalusa are in far, far worse shape than what Adams and his wife, Janice, own. To our knowledge, no condemnation proceedings have been started on those buildings.

There are plenty of vacant buildings all around town that are simply eyesores that should be razed before an attempt to go after legitimate business owners who are just trying to make a living.

The Council should be applauded for going by the spirit of the law and not by the letter of the law.

Each case has its own unique set of circumstances, and allowing Adams more time to clean up his property and get back to the business of making a living was the right call.