County Commissioners addressed three separate property concerns at Monday’s meeting
Dubois County Commissioners addressed three property maintenance issues — two unsafe buildings and one property needing to be cleaned up–on Monday morning.
First, the commissioners followed up with the Kippenbrock property addressed at the previous meeting, ultimately giving them 30 days to clean up their property on Old State Road 64. This comes after years of complaints about junk and debris piling up on the site.
Along with the time, the commissioners voted to require the Kippenbrocks to reimburse the county $560 for the time spent on the case. They also set a deadline of July 16 for the property to comply with all maintenance ordinances fully.
Lance Kippenbrock told the commissioners they’ve been making headway recently. They’ve filled a 35-yard container with trash and scrapped several vehicles. But he says they need more time, citing weather delays and other setbacks.
“We’re grateful for your patience so far, but we need a bit more time,” Kippenbrock explained.
Carla Striegel-Winner from the county’s Solid Waste Management District acknowledged some progress but noted, “There’s still a lot of work to be done.”
The board weighed whether to close the case or extend the timeline. In the end, they decided to keep it open, imposing the reimbursement fee and the 30-day deadline. If the property isn’t up to code by July 16, the commissioners might slap on an extra $2,000 fine at their July 21 meeting.
Cynthia Kippenbrock expressed his frustration with the ongoing situation: “I want this done too. I don’t need this hanging over my head.”
Then the commissioners addressed the ongoing issue with a building owned by Robert Slotten in Dubois, located at 5398 East Main Street.
Slotten missed the May 25 demolition deadline that commissioners approved at a hearing earlier that month. Christina Pierini, the environmental health specialist with the Dubois County Health Department, confirmed to the commissioners that as of yesterday, no progress had been made on the property.
“We’ve had a previous hearing. Promises were made and not kept,” Commissioner Chad Blessinger said. “I’m tired of messing with it.”
Slotten, present at the meeting, assured the commissioners that work would begin this week. He blamed weather delays for missing the deadline and stated, “I’ve got confirmation that the contractor will be out there this week.” He added that a dumpster would arrive Friday, with gravel delivery set for Monday.
He said the contractor will have the work completed in two days.
The commissioners are giving Slotten one last chance to complete the work before the county steps in. They’ve assessed a $500 reimbursement fee for the county’s resources in addressing the issue, which Sloten must pay to the county auditor’s office within 30 days.
If the July 2 deadline isn’t met, the commissioners plan to proceed with county-led demolition. A follow-up meeting is scheduled for July 7 at 8:30 a.m. to verify the completion of the work.
“If it’s not done, he (Slotten) doesn’t even need to show up,” Blessinger said. “We are going to do the work ourselves.”
The commissioners also raised concerns about graffiti on the building, with “for sale” spray-painted on its side. Sloten agreed to remove it, clarifying it wasn’t his doing.
The third case involved a home damaged by fire in Haysville. The property at 381 West Hazel Road has been under scrutiny since April 3, when the county Health Department received reports about unsafe conditions.
Pierini informed commissioners that the building was damaged by fire about a year ago. Since then, it has become a magnet for trash, graffiti, and non-functional vehicles that have collected on the property. The windows and front doors are completely gone as a result of the fire, as well.
“In my opinion, it’s an unsafe building,” Pierini said.
She told commissioners they initially met with Ms. Jean O’Connell, the owner, on April 7 and gave her time to remedy the situation on her own.
With no apparent work being done, they met with her on May 16 and gave her another two weeks to find a purchaser for the property or have a contract for work on the property to make it safe.
Ms. O’Connell did not meet any of the deadlines.
The property owner, Jean O’Connell, explained that personal items still in the basement are preventing her from moving forward with demolition or sale contracts. She also mentioned recent personal challenges, including her son’s death in January.
She also explained that a quote from a contractor for repairs came in twice as much as expected.
“I’m really trying to move forward,” O’Connell said. “I need to get past this. You want it gone. I want it gone.”
When asked if she lived in Haysville, O’Connell said she was living with her children.
Commissioners were compassionate to her plight and recent tragedy, and asked her what trouble she was having removing the personal items stored in the basement of the building. Ms. O’Connell said they were too heavy for her to move on her own.
“I feel like we really just need a plan of how this is going to get taken care of and then execute that plan,” Hostetter said, adding he wanted a timeline for the work to be completed.
Blessinger said they wanted to take into account Ms. O’Connell’s recent tragedies in addressing the issue.
The commissioners outlined three main requirements: remove or prove registration for vehicles on the property, clean up trash and junk, and have a plan to make the building safe through demolition or repairs.
The board voted to take the issue “under advisement,” giving O’Connell until the July 7 meeting to present a solid plan and vehicle disposal or proof of registration.
Commissioners emphasized that vehicles must be properly disposed of, not just moved to another visible spot. They advised O’Connell to keep receipts from scrap yards or bills of sale as evidence.
If Connell doesn’t meet the deadline or present an acceptable plan, the county may take further steps to address the property’s condition.
