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Neighbor describes years-long drug-house problem; council, staff say law enforcement and code options under review
Summary
A resident told council a property next door has been a long-standing drug house; staff said deputies increased enforcement, and council asked staff to report back with options including abatement and civil processes.
A resident told the East Bethel City Council on April 14 that a nearby property has been “a known drug house” for several years and said the situation has degraded neighborhood safety and use of a nearby park. Council and staff described law-enforcement activity and potential code-enforcement and abatement options, but no formal enforcement action was reported at the meeting.
Sarah McLaughlin, who identified herself with an East Bethel address, told the council the property’s owner has been absent for months and people inhabiting the house “have completely ruined our neighborhood, our safety for our children.” She said the owner has been incarcerated in the past and that people she described as drug users now live at the property; she also reported threats and frequent vehicle traffic near the house.
City staff and the city attorney said the situation involves both criminal and civil elements. City Administrator (City Administrator) said deputies had increased patrols and made arrests and that some issues—such as junk vehicles—are code-enforcement matters that could move to abatement if the owner does not comply. The attorney said abatement is “a pretty aggressive move” and that eviction and other civil processes are often required; the attorney also noted the city has not yet undertaken abatement in this case.
McLaughlin said she believed a camper placed on the property had been there longer than 48 hours, which could trigger the city’s blight or nuisance processes. The attorney described the situation as “lengthy” and said staff would follow up; staff agreed to bring the new information to a staff meeting and report back, and the council suggested scheduling a work-session update.
No council vote or formal order to pursue abatement was recorded at the meeting. Council members encouraged the resident to meet with staff to present documentation and photographs and asked staff to confer with law enforcement and report options at a future meeting.
