MADISON — Madison’s attorney H.G. Shaffer III asked the property declared a “public nuisance” last month by the town’s council if a home inspection could be done.

“You can inspect it inside and out,” said Francis Scragg. “I have nothing to hide.”

Scragg, and several other people speaking in support and as witnesses for her, attended the Monday, Aug. 2; regular meeting of the council to say the property is in fact not a public nuisance.

“They are talking about me and there is nothing going on in my house that I know of,” she told council members. “I have six witnesses that will swear for me the same way.”

The witnesses included three residence of the property at 155 State Street, a next-door neighbor and a few people that say they have visited the home on several occasions.

Shaffer took the names of the witnesses and questioned some of them, as well as Scragg.

At the council’s July 12 meeting, some residents complained to the council that the property and boarding home had become a haven for drugs and other unsavory activity.

The council voted unanimously to declare the property and home a “public nuisance.”

The home is the first residence on the right side of the road when you enter Madison.

One of Scragg’s witnesses wondered why the council would take a vote on declaring the property a public nuisance without hearing Scragg’s side of the story.

“Is that legal?” she asked. “Shouldn’t they have notified her first before voting to declare the property a public nuisance? I think they jumped the gun on this one and should reverse their decision.”

Shaffer indicated that the declaration was still in effect, but that it was something that is not necessarily permanent.

“Witnesses have come forward and a home inspection has been agreed to, so the declaration of this property and home as a public nuisance is not something that has to be permanent,” Shaffer said.

Scragg says there were some problems when she first started renting rooms, but they have been “removed.”

“At one point, when I first started renting rooms, there were some problems,” she said. “They have been removed, and I have no problems now.”

Scragg says the drug dealing allegations are also false.

“The only drugs allowed in this house are prescribed by a doctor,” she said.

Scragg and her supporters said they would attend the next Madison City Council meeting and ask that the declaration of the property being a public nuisance be reversed or dropped.

The next meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m., Monday, Sept. 6, 2010 at the Madison Civic Center.