Neighbors press council over long-running lot-cleanup, council asks property owner to work with code staff

At the meeting’s code-enforcement hearing neighbors and property owners addressed the council about long-running nuisance complaints. Jason Shirts told the council he had cleaned the pool at 5109 Courthouse Road and that he had hired a contractor to install a fence — the contractor would begin work in about two weeks and Shirts said he would provide photos to code enforcement after the permit process.

Nearby resident Johnny Bones and other neighbors described the 12th Street property as a continuing health risk with standing water, debris and persistent violations dating to 2018. Bones said he had documented repeated incidents and asked when the city would stop granting extensions. Council and code staff confirmed multiple prior cases and fines and that the property had been designated habitual; staff said they would proceed with corrective action if the owner failed to comply after the standard notice periods.

Property owner Renee Scherer said she was working to clean the yard and asked for clarity about what items must be removed because some are refurbishing materials related to her art work. Scherer also alleged harassment by a neighbor and said the personal dispute complicated compliance efforts; the presiding officer reminded speakers to stay focused on the lot-cleanup issues and told Scherer to continue working with code enforcement.

The council did not remove the properties from the enforcement docket; it instructed owners to keep code enforcement informed, left the matters on the agenda for future review and noted staff would take corrective steps where the property remained noncompliant.