Mike Petrovnik, a resident at 217 First Avenue North near Kealy Lake, told the Hibbing City Council Wednesday that neighbors have endured a year of "garbage blowing into our yard," foul smells, abandoned vehicles blocking streets and unsafe conditions for children.

"It's the Wild West and we need we need help," Petrovnik said during the council's public hearing. He said his family has repeatedly contacted police, code enforcement, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and other agencies without lasting resolution and that vehicles parked in the road sometimes prevent passage.

Councilors and city staff acknowledged the seriousness of the complaint and outlined prior enforcement steps. Tyler (acting for the police department) described the city's blight enforcement timeline: staff initiated administrative cleanup proceedings, attempted to clear the property, and sought a search warrant when vehicles blocked access. According to Tyler, a judge denied the warrant after concluding the ordinances read as civil rather than criminal matters, which limited law enforcement access.

"Upon applying for the search warrant, the judge denied access to the property, as the judge's interpretation of our ordinances reflected more of a civil process than a criminal process," Tyler said. He added the city switched enforcement to daily administrative tickets and has issued more than 100 tickets tied to the property; those unpaid administrative penalties proceed through collection and do not necessarily compel a court appearance.

City attorney Andy Borland and staff said that, in cases where owners or tenants physically block cleanup and a judge interprets enforcement as civil, standard criminal-search warrants may be denied. Tyler told the council staff is researching public-nuisance statutes and League of Minnesota Cities recommendations and said starting a public-nuisance prosecution would trigger a mandatory court appearance.

"If our blight process is not going to work with people that are willingly going to allow us onto their property for the cleanup, we have to come up with another solution for it," Tyler said.

Council members asked staff to follow up and explore alternate legal avenues. Mayor and several councilors said they would meet with staff soon to consider options that might avoid the earlier judge's interpretation that blocked access. City public works staff noted they can clear trash that sits in the public right-of-way, such as piles of dirt or material that encroaches on the road, but cannot enter private property without owner consent or an enforceable order.

Petrovnik told the council that prior attempts to schedule a city-led cleanup were disrupted when a tenant blocked access with registered vehicles; the situation also paused plans during winter. He offered to assist staff by showing them the property in person.

Councilors said the issue remains a priority but that the legal and procedural hurdles have made enforcement slow. Staff committed to providing the council with recommended next steps and to reengage on potential administrative-warrant strategies or nuisance prosecution to secure property access for abatement.