McConnell's property being cleaned up again

Posted: Monday, September 21, 2009 4:15 pm | Updated: 4:38 pm, Mon Sep 21, 2009.

By Peter Adelsen Perspective staff writer padelsen@kokomoperspective.com | 0 comments

Posted on September 21, 2009

* padelsen

by Peter Adelsen

For the second time this year and the countless times before, the city of Kokomo is cleaning up Roger McConnell's property at the corner of LaFountain Street and Boulevard because of its violation of the nuisance ordinance.

The city began working at the property at 8 a.m. Monday and plans on completing the task of moving everything off the property that is not a structure in the next few days, said Steve Barnett, Kokomo building inspector. The city is also saving the walnut and other non-trash trees, everything else is going to a landfill.

Barnett said McConnell was notified of the city's clean up.

"He was aware of it and he had been notified by all the legal procedures," he said. "He requested a hearing with the Board of Public Works and he appeared to the board and presented his case to the board."

During the hearing, the board gave the order to proceed with the clean up, he said. Barnett then coordinated the project with Joe Ewing, city street and refuse director, for the man power.

"It's our job to make sure that people keep their properties in a safe condition and if it means going back whenever he gets in violation again, we'll be doing that," he said.

As of 2:00 p.m. Monday, Barnett estimates that 20 tons of trash had been removed from the property.

The city was not alone at the property on Monday, McConnell was there as well.

"The city told me that if we'd put up a fence, they would leave us alone," McConnell said. "They also said to keep everything within the confines of the fence. I put up a fence and the city came and took down the fence. That's why they came back because the fence was down."

The fence was up from 1996 to 2004, he said.

McConnell said he has been at odds with the city since 1972. He said this time the city has accused him of planting rank vegetation.

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