Huntingburg Common Council Acknowledges Code Enforcement Needs

At the Huntingburg Common Council meeting, property development and quality-of-life concerns emerged with a significant land sale and debates on increasing code enforcement needs. 

The Council opened a public hearing on a proposal to sell real estate at Veteran's Parkway and N. Geiger Street. Mayor Neil Elkins explained that these are the two lots sitting directly east of Geiger on Veteran’s Parkway. The property sits in the Main Street development area. City Attorney Phil Schneider said the offer of $179,600 exceeds the average of the two appraisals, compensating the City for both the cost of the appraisals and the buyer’s commission. With no public comment, the hearing was closed and the Council passed Resolution 2026-20 to approve the sale. 

Resident Janet Schnell addressed the Council regarding a previously discussed hoarding situation at a neighboring property. She presented photos of mounting trash and items appearing on the front porch over the last two weeks, leading to an increased animal population that is living amid the clutter. Schnell said, “When we have policies and procedures but there’s no consequences, this is what we’re going to see…As a homeowner who’s been addressing this problem for a while, it gets very aggravating.” She explained that she felt that the burden of managing the issue had fallen on her rather than the city and implored that fines be enforced to prompt action. 
 
Attorney Schneider said that there is a court order in place at the property. If Code Enforcement confirms that the property owners are in violation of the order, the Council can bring a petition to cite them for contempt of court. At that point, the final decision regarding fines would rest with the judge who issued the order. 

The Council discussed the broader issue of unresolved violations at length, noting that it might be time to consider budgeting for a full-time position. The fire chief’s volume of work has increased, and this does not allow for regular inspections of commercial buildings, rentals, historic buildings not meeting fire codes, and other proactive measures. An extensive conversation led the Council to seriously discuss implementing changes when new budgets are adopted in order to address the increased demand for code enforcement. 

In other business, Transit Director April Blessinger presented the updated Drug and Alcohol Policy, which was accepted as presented. The policy will be implemented as soon as possible to maintain compliance with the Federal Transit Authority. 

Clerk-Treasurer Thomas Dippel said that each year, the Redevelopment Commission has to determine whether there is any excess assessed value for other taxing units. This year, the RDC found that there was no additional assessed value in any of the 7 TIF allocation areas. Dippel presented the findings to the board. 

For more information on these and other updates, visit www.huntingburg-in.gov


- By Drew Hasselbring