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Board orders 60-day cleanup windows for two properties flagged as public nuisances
Summary
Pennington County ordinance enforcement presented two long-running nuisance cases; the board gave property owners 60 days to remedy conditions or face abatement actions and potential liens. Staff was directed to pursue neighborhood-level enforcement where multiple properties show similar violations.
Pennington County ordinance enforcement officials presented two longstanding public nuisance cases and the board set deadlines for cleanup.
Dwayne Allen, the county's ordinance enforcement official (S8), briefed the commissioners on two cases brought under Ordinance 106. One case, COV O22-0003 involving property owner Harold McBride, dates to 2022 and includes debris, abandoned vehicles, combustible material and other violations. Allen said certified notices had been returned and that abatement costs for the property would likely exceed the county's $1,000 administrative abatement authority, so the board would need to authorize any large abatement costs.
Commissioners discussed whether enforcement should remain complaint-driven or be treated as a community cleanup when several adjacent parcels show similar conditions. Commissioners also identified the operational options: give additional time, seek court enforcement, or proceed to abatement with bids and potential county resources (including internal equipment or third-party tow and salvage options).
The board directed staff to provide the property owner 60 days to show "considerable action" toward cleanup and to pursue abatement if the deadline is missed. A similar 60-day directive was given in a second case (Joan Churchill), where a son spoke on his mother's behalf and committed to efforts to clean up the yard; the board reiterated that failure to comply would lead to abatement and potential liens.
Chair and several commissioners stressed the need for consistent enforcement and that staff should evaluate neighboring properties during compliance inspections so the county does not appear to single out individual owners.
What happens next: enforcement staff will notify owners with clear deadlines, solicit bids or internal resources to do abatement if required, and return to the board with cost estimates; unpaid abatement costs may become county liens.
