Council sets July 1 cleanup deadline for two nuisance properties, warns of abatement costs

City staff updated the council on two privately owned properties that have generated repeated complaints for unlicensed vehicles, material storage and junk accumulation. Staff said one property (identified in packet as 9550 West Hill Road) has a long complaint history dating into the 1980s and has been uncooperative; the other (the Hunter property) has shown more regular clean-up progress and ongoing communication with staff.

"We've started the criminal process on one property," said Craig (Chief), describing ordinance-based counts for vehicles and piles of material that the prosecutor grouped into elements of the city's nuisance ordinance rather than itemizing every piece of debris. Craig said enforcement can yield fines but that civil nuisance abatement — where the city removes material and assesses the cost to the property — is an available, but expensive, option.

Jasper (staff) told the council that abatement estimates from local haulers for these parcels run roughly $75,000–$100,000 per parcel and that the city would also incur legal fees and possible environmental cleanup costs if contaminants were present. The abatement process can be protracted, staff said, and can include appeals and tax-roll assessments that may take 2–3 years to conclude.

Councilors discussed practical monitoring measures (roadside photos, requests for owner consent to periodic aerial monitoring) and asked staff to give both owners the same timetable. The council directed staff to give owners until July 1 to show visible, demonstrable progress and to report back at the council's first July meeting or earlier if warranted. If the properties do not show sufficient cleanup, staff may proceed with abatement and cost-recovery options.