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Residents tell Black Hawk County supervisors of code-enforcement and illegal-dumping problems
Summary
Two residents urged Black Hawk County supervisors to address alleged selective code enforcement and repeated illegal dumping and animal abandonment in rural areas; speakers asked for clearer enforcement, transparency and a countywide plan to improve rural responses.
James D. Rochon, who gave his address as 1555 Mill Street, spoke during public comment about longstanding disputes with county code enforcement, saying a past enforcement action that led to removal of his vehicles was improper and that video evidence shows an officer told others not to remove a vehicle. Rochon said his property and many nearby homes predate the ordinance and argued they should be 'grandfathered' from the current enforcement practice; he asked the board for accountability and said he has been unable to get law-enforcement review despite having what he called videotaped evidence.
Ashley Hubby, a lifelong resident of Black Hawk County, told the board that illegal dumping across county roads has become commonplace, and that the county’s humane-society contract and response protocols leave rural residents without reliable help for abandoned or injured animals. She cited the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office annual report and budget figures to argue that rural areas receive a small share of patrol and investigative resources and said she has twice encountered animal-abandonment incidents that were not responded to promptly by humane-society staff; she asked the board to develop a structured, transparent plan addressing illegal dumping and animal abandonment and to notify the public of any board discussions or initiatives on the topic.
Board members acknowledged the concerns and noted follow-up would be arranged: the chair indicated Supervisor Grant would speak with Rochon outside the meeting, and staff noted Sheriff’s Office personnel had previously engaged with some of the incidents Hubby described. No formal action was taken at the meeting; both citizens requested additional review and public follow-up.
The board did not take votes or adopt new policy in response to the public comments during the session. Next steps noted by the board included staff follow-up with the sheriff’s office and potential further discussion at a later meeting or in departmental updates.
