Commission declares property at 45 SW 4th a public nuisance, gives owner 30 days to clean up

The Warrenton City Commission declared the property at 45 Southwest 4th Street a public nuisance and directed staff to move forward with abatement procedures while agreeing to delay any citations or fines for 30 days to allow remediation.

Christian Salinas, Warrenton’s code compliance officer, described extensive outdoor debris at the four‑unit rental — including three makeshift tarp sheds, multiple inoperable vehicles, automotive parts, 55‑gallon drums with unknown fluids and other items "causing the violations," and said he did not observe steps that would indicate compliance during recent site visits. "Items causing the violations include, but are not limited to, 3 makeshift sheds constructed with tarps and bungee cords, surrounded by numerous inoperable vehicles," Salinas said.

Property owner Karen Cochran told the commission she had been dealing with tenant removal and the fallout from her husband’s death, said she had hired movers and a U‑Haul and reported that four of seven inoperable vehicles had been removed; she asked for time for tenants to finish moving and for the commission to avoid punitive action if progress continued. "The cleanup is happening," Cochran said, noting she has helped arrange storage and transportation of items.

Commissioners discussed enforcement options and whether fines would turn into liens; Commissioner (speaker 6) moved to declare a public nuisance and to direct staff to proceed with appropriate abatement procedures but to wait 30 days before issuing citations or fines. The commission approved that motion by voice vote. Staff emphasized that municipal code allows a 10‑day abatement timeline but the commission chose a 30‑day leniency window to allow demonstrated progress before court action.