Huntingburg Council weighs staffing issue as resident raises hoarding concerns again

A Huntingburg resident brought a years-long code enforcement dispute back before the city council at Tuesday’s meeting, sparking a wide-ranging conversation about staffing and the limits of the city’s current approach to property violations.

Janet Schnell told council members that items had been accumulating on the front porch of a neighboring property despite a permanent court injunction barring the residents from violating hoarding orders. She said the situation had been building over a two-week period and expressed frustration that little seemed to be happening about it.

The property came under scrutiny and was subject to subsequent city action in 2025, leading to the creation of a new hoarding ordinance.

Schnell said that, in that case, she agreed with the city’s settlement not to assess the accumulated fines if the property owners cleaned up the property. However, she now regretted that decision.

“I didn’t realize the ramifications for that; there are no consequences to actions,” Schnell told the council. “They can continue to do this. I’m having to be the policeman to sit there and watch what’s happening on the front porch.”

Schnell said her concerns went beyond the visual impact of the clutter. She cited an increase in possums, raccoons, and cats in the area, which she attributed to animals sheltering beneath the accumulated items, and raised concerns about a deteriorating wooden shed on the property that had been required to be stabilized under an earlier court agreement.

She said they didn’t meet the agreement’s requirements before the city dropped the fines.

City Attorney Phil Schneider explained the legal history of the case. The city had previously dropped fines against the property owners in exchange for a cleanup and agreement to a permanent injunction from future violations. The judge in the case determined the property had been brought into compliance, but the injunction remained in place.

Schneider said the new accumulation of items could constitute contempt of court — a more significant legal exposure than a standard code violation.

“The fine for contempt is going to be much higher than any fine that we could ever assess,” Mayor Neil Elkins said.

Schneider said code enforcement officers would need to inspect the property and confirm whether current conditions violated the court order before any contempt petition could be filed. He suggested Schnell grant officers access to her yard to photograph the neighboring shed.

Councilman Jeff Bounds asked whether previously waived fines could be reinstated if the residents were found in contempt. Schneider confirmed that was possible, and that per-day fines could also be assessed at the judge’s discretion.

“If this comes back again, there shouldn’t be any leniency,” Bounds said. “This needs to be fixed and if the threat of fines is not present, it’s not going to get fixed. If that building has to be torn down because it can’t be brought up to the requirements that we’ve expected, then it needs to be removed within a certain amount of time and its contents removed. And if not, fines need to start accruing.”

Schnell said she hadn’t brought the issue back to Planning Director Paul Lake, who splits code enforcement with Fire Chief Donnie Heim, since he returned from a medical leave of absence.

Elkins said he would have code enforcement officers visit the property that week to assess conditions and take photographs.

The Schnell complaint opened into a wider discussion about the city’s overall approach to code enforcement — one that council members said had been coming for some time.

Several members raised concerns about tall grass, abandoned vehicles, and other property violations they said weren’t being addressed quickly enough.

Elkins acknowledged the workload of the planning director and fire chief played a part in their ability to police the city for code violations. Regarding additional staffing, he said the city had intentionally left several positions unfilled in recent years to manage costs. But he said the question of whether to add a dedicated code enforcement officer needed to be on the table when budget season begins.

“I really think we need a full-time person doing that,” Elkins said, noting that a single violation can take several hours when accounting for documentation, follow-up calls, and system entry.

Councilman Steve McPherron agreed and suggested the city consider hiring an entry-level officer focused on street-level patrols, freeing senior staff for more complex work, “like an entry-level person that just drives around,” McPherron said.

Council members also discussed whether the city’s website could include a portal for residents to submit photos and reports of potential violations. Supporters said it could help officers prioritize their time and make residents feel heard, though McPherron cautioned that the tool would need careful management to avoid becoming a forum for neighbor disputes.

McPherron said he was also concerned about the various complaints that may come through the platform that are irrelevant or unnecessary.

Bolte said it could also serve as a conduit for helping individuals in the community who may not have the resources to maintain their properties. “There are many youth groups that are looking for things to do in the community,” she said, adding that businesses are also looking for projects to support through their employees.

Moving forward, Bounds suggested allocating additional time in the budget agenda to discuss operational priorities before decisions are made about funding a position — an idea Councilman McPherron echoed.

The council also discussed and took the following actions:

Real Estate Sale – Veterans Parkway and North Geiger Street

The council conducted a public hearing on the proposed sale of two lots located directly east of Geiger on Veterans Parkway. An offer of $179,600 has been received from SA&M Real Estate LLC, which exceeded the average of two appraisals and covered the cost of appraisals and the buyer’s commission. The property sits within the Main Street economic development area. No public comments were received; the hearing was closed, and Resolution 2620 authorizing the sale was adopted unanimously. The council briefly discussed how proceeds flow into the general fund and can be appropriated for future budget items. Mayor Elkins noted they have a stormwater project that will require a $230,000 match, and that the funds could be used for it.