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DuBois County commissioners order reimbursement, give owner 30 days to finish cleanup at Kippenbrock property
Summary
After multi-year complaints about junk, vehicles and potential fire hazards at the Kippenbrock property, the DuBois County Board of Commissioners ordered the property owners to reimburse county costs and set a compliance deadline with follow-up hearings.
The DuBois County Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday to require reimbursement of county expenses and set a deadline for cleanup at a long‑running property maintenance case involving the Kippenbrock property. The board found ongoing accumulation of junk and materials that present possible insect harborage and fire risk and described a history of notices dating to 2023.
The solid waste management district reported some progress since a June inspection — vehicles that had been visible next to the road were moved back into a driveway and some materials were consolidated — but district staff said much of the junk and plastic debris remained along property edges.
Carla Strickland of the DuBois County Solid Waste Management District told commissioners she had photos from 2023 and May 2025 showing the continuing problems and recommended moving items into a central location or removing them. Commissioners noted partial compliance but said the property had not been sufficiently remediated over multiple months and years.
The board voted to require the property owners to reimburse the county for investigative and enforcement costs and to give the owners a set timeline to finish the cleanup. The commission ordered reimbursement in the amount of $560, payable to the county auditor within 30 days, and extended the compliance deadline to July 16, 2025. The commission also scheduled a status review for the property on the July 21, 2025 commissioners meeting agenda.
Commissioners and district staff said the county would revisit enforcement if the owners failed to meet the deadline, including assessing further fines or pursuing other remedies available under the county’s property maintenance rules.
Evidence of ongoing work, photos of disposal receipts, and proof of current vehicle registration were requested by the county during the compliance period. The board emphasized it would prefer voluntary compliance but said it would take further action if cleanup was not completed by the deadline.
