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Council moves to draft nuisance declaration and abatement order for Basma property at 9550 West Hill Road
Summary
Staff presented video and inspection photos showing extensive debris at the Basma property; council asked staff to prepare a nuisance-declaration resolution and abatement order to consider at the June 1 meeting, with several members favoring an August 1 cleanup deadline if abatement proceeds.
City staff presented inspection footage and still photos of 9550 West Hill Road (the Basma property) and asked the Minnetrista City Council for direction on whether to declare the site a nuisance and pursue abatement.
"From the video, if you look at it, you can see it's pretty unsightly," city staff member Beth told the council, and asked whether the council wanted to declare the site a nuisance and, if so, set a timeline for abatement. Staff reported building-inspection and police documentation and said the site appears to contain a large volume of scrap, several vehicles and, in stills, what staff described as dead animal carcasses.
City attorney Sarah advised the council on the legal process: "I would not recommend that" the city simply go on the property and start removing items without court authorization, she said. Instead staff recommended serving notice, allowing the owner a set time to comply, and—if the owner fails to act—bringing a court action to obtain authority to enter the property and abate the nuisance. Staff estimated cleanup costs could be sizeable and said an abatement contractor gave a rough, non-binding range of about $50,000 to $100,000 based on aerial imagery; precise quotes would require on-site inspection.
Councilmembers expressed concern for the property's elderly owner and discussed alternatives such as structured payment plans, engaging scrap buyers, or voluntary cleanup. Several councilmembers said the owner has had notice for an extended period and that neighbors report conditions are worsening; multiple members supported moving forward with formal nuisance-declaration procedures. Mayor Lisa Whelan asked staff to prepare a nuisance-declaration resolution and an abatement order for the June 1 meeting; council voiced support for an abatement-completion target of August 1 if the process proceeds.
Next steps: staff will draft a nuisance-declaration resolution and a proposed abatement order for the June 1 meeting, and will obtain formal cost estimates and templates for court filings if the council elects to pursue abatement.
