Stillwater Council Continues Nuisance Hearing for Remington Ranch Apartments After Tenants Report No Hot Water

The Stillwater City Council on Jan. 12 continued a public‑nuisance hearing for Remington Ranch apartments at 1815 North Boomer Road after outside counsel and code enforcement described an ongoing, escalated enforcement effort and residents testified they remain without reliable hot water.

Beth Ann Childs, conflict counsel retained by the City of Stillwater, told the council staff first received sustained complaints about the complex on November 11 and that code officers had been visiting frequently. Childs said the complex — described as a 1969 multi‑family property with buildings A–L and roughly 300 units — relies on antiquated shared boilers and aging in‑slab copper lines that repeatedly break, making spot repairs unsustainable. Childs told council the city had sent legal notice under state nuisance‑abatement authority and city code and could, if owners fail to comply, make repairs and file a lien against the property.

Childs said the long‑term plan is to install individual hot‑water heaters in each unit and that heaters had arrived on site; installation began with Building A on Jan. 11–12. James Moore, the city’s code enforcement supervisor, said officers are now visiting the property daily and working with plumbers and inspectors to expedite installations. Moore said there are about 300 units on site and that plumbers estimated they could install roughly four units per day initially, with electrical inspections and scheduling expected to speed the overall pace.

Multiple tenants spoke during public comment describing repeated outages and related problems. "I don't have hot water in my apartment," said Abby Charlend, who lives in Building L. She said she had been without hot water for extended periods multiple times during the two years she has lived at the property and that management’s responses had been inconsistent. Desiree Pierce said she had experienced flooding, mold remediation and pest issues since moving to the property in 2023 and that hot water had been available only intermittently over recent months. Ronald Balderson described chronic upstairs flooding into his unit and said pest control services had lapsed.

Childs recommended the council continue the hearing to a date certain so staff can monitor progress and preserve notice. Councilors discussed scheduling and a vice mayor suggested tabling to the next regular meeting, Feb. 9. A councilor moved to table the item to Feb. 9, the motion was seconded, and the council voted 4–0 to table the hearing until that meeting. Childs and staff asked residents to continue to provide complaints and promised an email contact for outstanding issues.

Next steps: staff will monitor the heater installations, continue daily code enforcement visits, and return the matter to the council on Feb. 9. Childs also noted tenants may pursue remedies under the Landlord‑Tenant Act and that code enforcement provides resources to residents who request them.