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Stewartville council orders abatement of nuisance property at 611 Fifth Avenue SE
Summary
The Stewartville City Council voted to order abatement of a nuisance property at 611 Fifth Avenue SE after staff reported persistent code violations; owners were given prior notice and cleanup options, and the council said abatement costs may be assessed to the property.
The Stewartville City Council voted to order abatement of a nuisance property at 611 Fifth Avenue SE after hearing staff reports and a phone call from one of the property owners.
At a public hearing opened by the council, staff presented complaints and attached photographs documenting the property’s condition and said the city sent notice of the hearing on June 23, 2025 under City Code section 6610. Council members said the property has shown the recurring pattern the city has seen before — partial or temporary cleanup followed by renewed violations. Trista Dert, identified in the record as a property owner, called staff and said she had begun cleanup and had removed at least one vehicle but did not attend the meeting in person.
The council discussed the city's enforcement sequence — warnings or tickets issued by staff followed by municipal abatement if owners do not fully comply — and confirmed that staff (Justin, referenced in the record) had issued an enforcement ticket in a recent related case. The council then moved to adopt the presented findings of fact, order abatement, and allow city staff to enter the property to remove offending items. The action record in the meeting notes states that abatement costs, including attorney and administrative fees, may be assessed to the property as a tax assessment.
The motion was seconded and approved by voice vote; the transcript records the council’s voice vote but does not include a roll-call tally or named yes/no votes. The owner contact and partial cleanup the owner reported did not prevent the council from ordering abatement based on the city’s findings and past practice described by staff.
What happens next: city staff will proceed with abatement consistent with the order and will record charges for the abatement that may be assessed to the property tax account. The public hearing record shows the owner had a chance to appear and present evidence; the transcript records the owner’s phone contact but not in-person testimony.
