Resident alleges repeated property encroachments, says mayor allowed work; council agrees to inspect

Cheryl Descharm told the Vinton City Council that problems with her property began during construction in 2012 when a neighbor's sewer line was tied into a newly run line she paid for, which she said "was a direct violation of state building code." She said she contacted her contractor, the mayor and state officials, and that subsequent incidents included a rental house fire, construction encroaching on her lot and rebar and trenches recently driven into her yard by people she identified as the Muranos.

Descharm said she repeatedly sought a response from the mayor and from property owner Corey McKibben and that, after state inspectors were scheduled to visit, the mayor and McKibben arranged for a plumber to remove the illegal tie-in and run a new sewer line. "This never should have happened, and it wasn't their decision to make," she said, adding that she has photographs documenting the work and recent damage.

Council members asked Descharm to provide the photos so staff could review the evidence. The chair asked staff to coordinate with building inspection to determine whether the property suffers code violations and to advise the council on enforcement options. One council member urged calm and reminded her that at-large councilors live in the neighborhood and can be contacted directly; another councilor offered to accept photos by email or text and send them to staff so an inspector can be dispatched.

Descharm said the city's police had told her to leave a neighbor's mulberry bushes alone and that she would put up a privacy fence on her property line. Councilors did not take formal action on the complaint at the meeting but directed staff to follow up with building inspection and said they would review any submitted photos and survey documentation. The chair requested that staff report back to the council on findings and next steps.