No bids received for county cleanup at 2966 Fort Troy; code enforcement case continues

Marshall County planning staff reported Aug. 29 that a county bid solicitation for cleanup of a long-running code-enforcement case at the property listed as 2966 (Fort Troy/Walkerton area) closed with no bids.

Staff said the property has been the subject of a code-enforcement violation for more than a year. The bid period closed the day before the meeting and no contractors submitted responsive bids. The parcel(s) — staff said two parcels are involved — had been the subject of cleanup solicitations; the property owner has since died, and staff said a daughter of the deceased had confronted code enforcement officers during recent on-site visits. Planning staff said code enforcement officer Phil Smith has faced “fierce hostility” and that sheriff’s deputies accompany staff on site when court orders are required.

Staff walked commissioners through photographs of the site and said many debris piles on site are often subsequently burned, which may trigger involvement by the health department or EPA. The commission discussed options including additional advertising of bids, reissuing the solicitation, and whether county or correctional resources could assist; several commissioners suggested exploring use of inmate crews and coordinating with county commissioners about available internal resources.

No formal action or new vote was taken; staff said they would retain the case and consider next steps. Staff estimated about seven or eight other enforcement cases are close to court action countywide and asked for ideas for alternate cleanup approaches that would avoid protracted litigation and high county costs.