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Mayor sets April 29 cleanup for nuisance property; public comment turns heated
Summary
Mayor Charles Guerri set a public-nuisance cleanup for 190 West Adams on April 29; public comment later in the meeting grew contentious as resident Derick Bland alleged targeted enforcement and other residents raised concerns about social-media postings, prompting Sheriff Travis Ash to intervene.
Mayor Charles Guerri told the Huntington Common Council on April 15 that he had issued a public-nuisance notice for 190 West Adams (the "red house") and set April 29, 2025 as the cleanup date after nearly a year of work with the property owner.
During public comment, resident Derick Bland asked for clarification of commercial, commercial-residential and industrial definitions in the municipal code and argued that enforcement was being applied selectively. Bland said he received a letter accusing him of noncompliance and disputed the allegation, asserting that he complied and that city enforcement targeted certain individuals. The exchange grew heated; Mayor Guerri interrupted at times and offered Bland extra time to account for interruptions. Sheriff Travis Ash stepped in and asked audience members to stop the back-and-forth for safety reasons.
Other residents complained about Mr. Bland's behavior. Angie Marlin said she felt "violated" after Bland took photographs of private property and posted them on social media; Bland replied there is no law prohibiting taking photos. Several other residents raised unrelated maintenance and safety concerns, including a report of a sewer cut-off at a Madison Street property and piled branches that posed a fire risk.
At the end of the public-comment discussion the mayor polled councilmembers individually about his handling of ordinance enforcement; the transcript records each council member answering in the affirmative. The meeting adjourned at 7:02 p.m.
