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Council reviews abatement process for 9550 West Hill Road and to consult county
Summary
Minnetrista council received a staff outline of the city’s abatement process for 9550 West Hill Road, will inventory the property and may pursue an administrative search warrant; staff will also reach out to county environmental services to see whether the county will reengage.
Council President Kathleen Rufkin told colleagues the city is beginning an abatement process for 9550 West Hill Road and asked City Attorney Sarah Sinsala to outline next steps for the council.
"I asked our city attorney, Sarah Sinsala, to kind of outline the process so everybody's really familiar with it," Rufkin said, describing an inventory and a potential administrative search-warrant step in early April.
Sinsala said the city will prepare a report after staff and police complete an inventory and that council will then decide whether to issue an abatement order. "From there, you all will be able to determine if you want to issue an abatement order and then we'll go through that process," she said.
Rufkin said staff will also contact Hennepin County environmental services to determine whether the county can or will assist. She noted a county proceeding from roughly 25–30 years ago that resulted in citations and short jail time for a prior owner, and said staff will "reboot" outreach to the county before the city proceeds further.
Rufkin and Sinsala both emphasized this is the city's first time taking an abatement through its process and that staff want to follow each legal and operational step carefully. Sinsala told the council she is not aware of a current legal basis that would prevent staff from moving forward with the inventory and subsequent report.
The council did not take a formal vote at the work session; staff will return with findings and any recommended formal action for council consideration.
