The City Council approved a motion allowing the city to place a code compliance abatement lien on property located at 1889 Kalmia St. during its Oct. 28 meeting.
After a property is abated by the city, costs incurred are billed to the property owner. If the owner does not pay within 30 days, the council can place a lien on the property. Since February 2024, the city has placed liens on four other properties for abatements: 780 9th Ave., 4143 Osage St., 1435 22nd Ave., and 1333 13th Ave.
City Manager Jason Ogden reported that the Kalmia Street property has had code violations reported since at least 2020. The code enforcement officer had been actively trying to resolve complaints about the property, particularly since October 2024, but little to no improvements have been made since that time.
Violations included nuisances affecting public health, abandoned iceboxes, appliances and fixtures, open storage, household goods, discarded vehicles, and prohibited structures.
A fire occurred in the residence in March 2025, and Sweet Home Fire & Ambulance District personnel reported “significant difficulty” to access the residence and fight the fire due to the amount of debris on site.
Ogden said multiple site visits and written warnings were issued. The resident was sent a final notice of abatement in July 2025, followed by abatement of the exterior of the property later that month. According to city documents, property owner Leslee Huerta-Fernandez was billed $21,906.49 for the abatement.
Residents testified to Council about their experience living next to the property, many of whom stated it is already nearly back to its original state of mess. Rodents and backyard burns also concern them.
“These cases are never easy because they involve real people, real challenges,” Ogden said. “However, the city does have a responsibility to uphold its codes consistently to protect the public health and safety, and ensure that taxpayer funds are used fairly and responsibly.”
In other business:
- The council held a work session to review proposed changes to the city’s charter, as provided by the Charter Review Committee. The council requested a copy of the proposal that makes it clear what the changes are before they move forward.
- Frank Gallagher, a resident on 1st Avenue, shared traffic data on his street since the city installed speed humps this summer. He believes the speed humps are “somewhat effective,” but have not solved the problem of traffic volume.
- Ogden announced Jennifer Gaspard recently moved into the code enforcement position under the Sweet Home Police Department.
- Library Director Megan Dazey announced there will be a food pantry area in the lobby of the library, in anticipation of upcoming food insecurity issues.
- Councilor Angelita Sanchez expressed her concern about the expected loss of SNAP benefits due to the federal government shutdown. She reported that 46% of Sweet Home residents are receiving SNAP benefits. “I do want to let the community know that we as a community are gonna take care of our local community, regardless of what politics as usual is doing,” she said.