By DAVE SCHULTZ

The Bluffton Board of Public Works and Safety Tuesday set the stage for the first test of the junk ordinance passed by the city’s Common Council in early January of 2021.

The property at 427 W. Lancaster St., owned by Jayne Schoeff, was first cited for excessive junk in August of ladst year and then was cited again in December. A third letter was sent out, dated May 5, which gave the owner 10 days to clean up the property.

Kurt Shorey, identified as Schoeff’s son, resides at the house. He had called in to City Hall to inquire about being on the agenda for Tuesday’s Board of Works meeting, but he reportedly cut the phone call off and was not present Tuesday.

The city will go to court soon to ask for a warrant to go onto property at 427 W. Lancaster St. to remove junk from the property. The property was first cited in August of last year. “I have not seen such a quantity of junk in any other location in the city,” Mayor John Whicker said in a memo to Bluffton Common Council members. Photo by Dave Schultz)

“I have no earthly idea what he would bring to this body,” said Mayor John Whicker. 

Whicker has described the effort to clean up the property as the first test of the city’s junk ordinance. “I think we need to pursue this if we’re going to get serious about cleaning up properties with our junk ordinance,” the mayor said.

Whicker was joined by his fellow Board of Works members, Scott Mentzer and Roger Thornton, in asking City Attorney Tony Crowell to seek the warrant. Crowell said he would apply for the warrant in either Wells Circuit Court or Wells Superior Court.

Police Chief Kyle Randall encouraged the application for a warrant from the court. Randall said occasionally an individual will give their consent to come onto a property and then change his or her mind, leaving everyone trying to figure out what to do. A warrant will eliminate that possibility, Randall said.

daves@news-banner.com

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