City schedules property-code review for Aug. 12 after resident cites hospitalization and cleanup delays

City code staff on July 21 set a property-code enforcement case for review by the city council on Aug. 12 after a resident told hearing officers they had been hospitalized and are not currently able to finish the required cleanup.

The case concerns items placed on the driveway and a damaged fence at the rear of the property. The resident said personal health issues and limited resources have kept them from finishing the cleanup. “I can't go much faster. I was in the hospital for a week,” the resident told the hearing.

The issue matters because city staff said council can issue an order of determination that would allow the city to hire contractors to remove items if the property remains out of compliance. The code officer told the resident, “Our next step would be going to council.” Staff said that if the violation is corrected before the Aug. 12 meeting, they will report the correction to council and close the case; if not, they will proceed with enforcement and contractor removal.

At the hearing the resident described multiple impediments to cleanup, including a trailer parked on the property, disabled vehicles and a collapsed fence the resident said they could not afford to replace. The resident said family and neighbors have assisted where they could, and named individuals who have helped mow and move items, but said physical limitations and medical bills have constrained further work. The resident also described several recent medical visits and trips for care, saying doctors had warned of serious health problems after an incident they described as ingestion of antifreeze; the resident said doctors told them their kidneys were at risk.

Code staff repeatedly offered a single near-term path: have the property repaired and cleaned before Aug. 12, or allow council to issue an order for contractor removal. The hearing officer summarized the schedule: the case will be set for the Aug. 12 city council meeting; if the property is cleaned before that date staff will inform council and close the case, and if not the city will move forward with an order of determination and contractor abatement.

The hearing closed with staff offering to provide contact information for local cleanup services and to check the property again before council. No vote was recorded at the hearing; staff recorded the case as continued and referred it to council for an order of determination if compliance is not achieved by Aug. 12.