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Council orders nuisance abatement for 9550 West Hill Road, sets Sept. 1 deadline
Summary
After public comment and a presentation from city staff, the Minnetrista City Council declared 9550 West Hill Road a public nuisance and approved an abatement order, giving the property owner until Sept. 1, 2026, to remove identified materials or face city-initiated abatement and potential tax assessment.
The Minnetrista City Council voted June 1 to declare 9550 West Hill Road a public nuisance and issue an abatement order requiring cleanup by Sept. 1, 2026.
City attorney Sarah Sansala summarized the proposed resolution and the abatement process, telling the council that if the property is not cleaned by the deadline “the city under its code can go on the property and start doing the abatement,” and that staff would “highly recommend” obtaining a court order to allow city crews or contractors to remove materials lawfully and safely.
David Schultz, an attorney representing owner Robert (Bob) Bosma, told the council his client had allowed police and staff back onto the site this spring and was working to remove material. Schultz said Bosma had ‘‘made significant progress since that time. Two loads of 24 cars, I believe,’’ and that some larger vehicles and a school bus had already been removed. Schultz asked the council for realistic time to complete the cleanup and proposed Sept. 1 as a target date.
Neighbors who live nearby urged the council to ensure full cleanup. Ken Vanderland, who identified his address as 9450 West Hill Road and said he lives behind Bosma, said he had seen large loads removed but still observed material returning and expressed concern about property values. Fred Hemple said parts of the property that had been reported as clear “are not even close to clear.”
Council members pressed staff and the owner’s attorney on logistics and consequences. Sansala said abatement would be costly and could require advertising for bids; if the city performs the work, “any costs that the city would incur due to that abatement process would then be put on the tax role of the property and it has to be paid for in the very next year.” Schultz confirmed Bosma understood the stakes and that Bosma’s sons are helping with the cleanup; Schultz said Bosma, age 88, had recently been hospitalized and progress had been slowed as a result.
After discussion and review of photos provided to staff and the council, the body approved the resolution with the revised cleanup date. The resolution (64-26) as adopted declares the property a public nuisance, issues an abatement order, and sets Sept. 1, 2026 as the deadline for the owner to abate the identified violations. Council members noted that criminal charges related to the underlying matter do not themselves remove material from the site and that the abatement authority is the enforcement tool to clear the property.
What happens next: staff said they will proceed with the abatement timeline and, if cleanup is not complete by Sept. 1, will seek a court order to allow the city to conduct abatement and recover costs by assessing them to the property.
