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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Evansville Vanderburgh County Building Commission Hearing - June 25, 2026

City Council — Thursday, June 25, 2026

BodyEvansville, Indiana

SessionCity Council

DateThursday, June 25, 2026

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 2:04:50

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

0:00

Okay, all right.

0:07

Good afternoon.

0:08

Let us call to order that the meeting for or the hearing for the Ebbsville Vanderburgh County Building Commission for June 25th, 2026.

0:15

My name is Ryan Schultz.

0:17

I've been appointed as your hearing officer by Mayor Stephanie Terry, and I my authority is derived from Indiana Code 36-7-9, the unsafe building laws and ordinances enacted by the City Council of Evansville.

0:28

I have authority to issue civil penalties up to five thousand dollars.

0:36

So the today the city is requesting that you repair, vacate, or raise buildings or other structures on your property.

0:42

I can affirm, modify or deny those requests.

0:45

If I rule against you, you may wish and you if you wish to appeal my decision, you may do so by filing an appeal with the Vaniver County Superior Court within 10 days of the decision.

0:55

If you do not, you may waive your rights to an appeal.

0:59

You may find the forms to assist you in filing an appeal in the Vandenberg County Clerk's Office Room S 250 of this building.

1:05

A magistrate judge in housing court would hear your appeal your appeal.

1:09

Now that I've advised you of your rights and my authority, anyone that expects to testify today, please stand and raise your right hand.

1:22

Do each of you solemnly swear and affirm to tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so I'll be God.

1:26

If so, please say I do.

1:30

Building commission may present the first case.

1:34

Our first case is on page 7 and page 8 for uh co director uh dolphin.

1:42

This is one that was continued as an evidentiary from the May 21st hearing.

1:46

CE number is 25 CE 41.

1:49

Uh property address is 4405 Fickest Road.

1:52

Linda Bell is the owner and is present.

1:56

This belt won't come up to that table.

1:59

Report by the department, the property is vacant and secure, the yards are acceptable.

2:04

The property has been inspected 11 times.

2:06

There's been no progress on the orders.

2:08

There are no permits on file, and there has been contact with the owner as of yesterday.

2:15

Um, and we're ready to proceed.

2:20

Ma'am, do you know why you're here?

2:23

Oh.

2:25

Do you know why you're here?

2:26

Yes.

2:27

Okay.

2:28

So the building commission is asking that you vacate a house and three sheds on your property.

2:34

They're also requesting that um the house be raised as well as a shed.

2:40

I talked to uh yesterday.

2:43

There's been a lot of problems.

2:45

My son was working on it, he ended up on charges.

2:50

He's got he won't get out of prison until uh February, and then he'll finish the house.

2:58

His name is on it, so too.

3:03

Uh he's been in jail for a year, so I've been trying to deal with that and deal with him.

3:10

Uh I talked to him yesterday.

3:14

He said the bathroom, he showed me what needed to be fixed there.

3:20

And I will try to get some of it done, but uh somebody went in and stole all the electric electric boxes, all my laugh fixtures that were in there.

3:35

So I'm kind of starting from the beginning again.

3:38

That was a new box to new fuses.

3:42

Okay.

3:43

Um, Mr.

3:44

Dolphin, how do you want to proceed?

3:47

Um, like to move forward with the question.

3:49

Okay.

3:50

All right, ma'am.

3:51

Well, I'm gonna have the the building commission is gonna present their evidence as to why the property should be vacated and raised, okay?

3:57

And um, you'll have an opportunity to I would like to keep my house, if possible.

4:04

Um, there's only one part that's uh bad.

4:09

Okay.

4:09

Well, I'm gonna I'm gonna listen to the evidence.

4:11

Okay, and then you'll have an opportunity to question Mr.

4:14

Dolphin and the inspector, okay?

4:16

And then you'll have an opportunity to present any evidence that you want as to why the property should not be raised or should not be vacated.

4:22

Okay, okay, it would have been done except for all this should have happened.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Engineering And Infrastructure█████████████████████████████████████████████77%

Public Safety█████████████22%

Miscellaneous█1%

Summary of Proceedings

Evansville Vanderburgh County Building Commission Hearing - June 25, 2026

Hearing Officer Ryan Schultz presided over a hearing for the Evansville Vanderburgh County Building Commission on June 25, 2026, addressing 26 cases involving unsafe buildings. The city requested repairs, vacates, or demolitions under Indiana Code 36-7-9. Civil penalties up to $5,000 were authorized. Decisions included orders to repair, vacate, or raise structures, with many matters continued for progress reports in July or August 2026.

Consent Calendar

1108 West Maryland Street (Inspector Allen): Repair order on house/garage. Progress on tuckpointing; remaining shingles, gutters, and handrail. Return July 23.
1309 North Elliott Street (Inspector Skeet): Repair order on house/garage. Progress on roof and front porch. Return August 27; civil penalty under advisement.
1319 East Indiana Street (Inspector Skeet): Repair order on house. Progress. Return August 27.
1220 South Harlan Avenue (Inspector Lukey): Repair order on house/garage. Progress. Return July 23.
1612-1614 South Lynnwood Avenue (Inspector Lukey): Repair order on house/garage. Majority of exterior repairs done; interior inspection ordered within 30 days. Return August 27.
1143-1163 Covert Avenue (Inspector Lukey): Repair order on two apartment buildings. Repairs completed; matter released.
3355 West Franklin Street (Inspector Allen): Repair order on house. Property scheduled for foreclosure sale. Return August 27.
2600 West Illinois Street (Inspector Allen): Repair order on house/garage. No progress, no complaints. Return July 23.
3926 North Fourth Avenue (Inspector Allen): Repair order on house. Progress; contractor recorded contract. Return August 27.
2005 South Pass Avenue (Inspector Skeet): Emergency vacate order. Services restored; matter released.
1307 Cumberland Avenue (Inspector Allen): Affirmed repair order on house/garage. No progress; permits suspended. $500 civil penalty under advisement; return August 27.
1710 East Illinois Street (Inspector Skeet): Affirmed repair order on house/garage. New owner; roof replaced without permit; progress. Return August 27.
365 South Craig Avenue (Inspector Allen): Repair order on house/garage. Owners agreed to repairs; house sinking due to wood rot. Return August 27.
2575-2579 Stanley Court (Inspector Allen): Repair order on duplex. Owner working; soffit, gutters, window issues. Return August 27.
529 Stanley Avenue (Inspector Allen): Repair order on garage. Roof deteriorated; public nuisance found. Return August 27.
1926 South Red Bank Road (Inspector Allen): Repair order on house. Owner recovering from hospital; no progress. Civil penalty under advisement; return July 23.
1110-1112 East Negley Avenue: Continued.
912-914 West Columbia Street: Continued due to attorney conflict.
1907 Lincoln Avenue: Continued due to conflict.

Discussion Items

4405 Fickest Road – Linda Bell (Owner): Vacate and raise orders on house and three sheds. Inspector Dolphin testified that the house had structural issues: rotted roof trusses, missing electrical, stripped fixtures, and squatter damage. The roof was installed incorrectly, risk of collapse. One shed had a large hole in the roof. Owner requested time for her son to complete repairs after his release from prison. She stated she was homeless and had been dealing with squatters and theft. Decision: Vacate order granted for house; raise order granted for the damaged shed; house taken under advisement with decision within 10 days.
2911 West Franklin Street – CJ Funky (Owner): Affirmed repair order on retaining wall/stairs. Inspector Allen reported no progress; owner failed to submit specifications as ordered. Owner stated he hired an engineer (Morley & Associates) to redo specs, but had not communicated with the city. Hearing Officer imposed a $500 civil penalty under advisement, ordered specs provided within 10 days, and return July 23. Warning of $1,000 penalty if not complied.
313 South Elm Avenue – Sean Allen Rust (Owner): Repair order on house/garage. Inspector Allen noted house wrap on south wall but no significant progress. Owner, a general contractor, stated he bought the property and planned to complete repairs within a year using his crew. He had permits but no detailed timeline. Affirmed repair order; return August 27 for progress.
203 Reed Street – 203 Reed Street Land Trust (Owner): Vacate and raise order. Inspector Allen reported no contact with owner. A contract purchaser (Jasmine Geminez) claimed she was buying but had no signed contract. Matter continued to July to allow her to provide contract documentation.
3412 Yale Drive – Clarence E. Witt et al. (Owners): Repair order on fence. Inspector Dolphin testified that the fence was leaning onto neighbor's fence, obstructing replacement. No owner contact. Fence deemed a public nuisance; repair order affirmed.
1102 North Garden Street – MA Valley Inc. (Owner): Affirmed repair order on house/garage. No progress; willful non-compliance alleged by inspector. Hearing Officer took $500 civil penalty under advisement; return July 23.
1343 East Franklin Street – PQ LLC (Owner): Repair order on house/garage. Inspector Skeet (substituting) described missing soffits, rotten wood, damaged gutters, and overgrown trees. No owner contact. Affirmed repair order; return August 27.

Key Outcomes

Vacate order granted: 4405 Fickest Road (house); Raise order granted: 4405 Fickest Road (one shed). House decision pending in 10 days.
Affirmed repair orders: 2911 West Franklin Street (retaining wall/stairs), 313 South Elm Avenue, 365 South Craig Avenue, 1307 Cumberland Avenue, 2575-2579 Stanley Court, 1108 West Maryland Street, 1309 North Elliott Street, 1319 East Indiana Street, 1220 South Harlan Avenue, 1612-1614 South Lynnwood Avenue, 529 Stanley Avenue, 2600 West Illinois Street, 3355 West Franklin Street, 1926 South Red Bank Road, 3412 Yale Drive, 1102 North Garden Street, 1343 East Franklin Street.
Civil penalties: $500 penalty under advisement for 2911 West Franklin Street (if specs not provided by July 23, $1,000); $500 under advisement for 1307 Cumberland Avenue and 1102 North Garden Street; penalty under advisement for 1926 South Red Bank Road.
Matters released: 2005 South Pass Avenue (services restored), 1143-1163 Covert Avenue (repairs completed).
Continued: 203 Reed Street (to July), 1907 Lincoln Avenue, 912-914 West Columbia Street, 1110-1112 East Negley Avenue.
Return hearings scheduled: Most matters set for July 23, 2026 or August 27, 2026 for progress updates.

Meeting Transcript

Okay, all right. Good afternoon. Let us call to order that the meeting for or the hearing for the Ebbsville Vanderburgh County Building Commission for June 25th, 2026. My name is Ryan Schultz. I've been appointed as your hearing officer by Mayor Stephanie Terry, and I my authority is derived from Indiana Code 36-7-9, the unsafe building laws and ordinances enacted by the City Council of Evansville. I have authority to issue civil penalties up to five thousand dollars. So the today the city is requesting that you repair, vacate, or raise buildings or other structures on your property. I can affirm, modify or deny those requests. If I rule against you, you may wish and you if you wish to appeal my decision, you may do so by filing an appeal with the Vaniver County Superior Court within 10 days of the decision. If you do not, you may waive your rights to an appeal. You may find the forms to assist you in filing an appeal in the Vandenberg County Clerk's Office Room S 250 of this building. A magistrate judge in housing court would hear your appeal your appeal. Now that I've advised you of your rights and my authority, anyone that expects to testify today, please stand and raise your right hand. Do each of you solemnly swear and affirm to tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so I'll be God. If so, please say I do. Building commission may present the first case. Our first case is on page 7 and page 8 for uh co director uh dolphin. This is one that was continued as an evidentiary from the May 21st hearing. CE number is 25 CE 41. Uh property address is 4405 Fickest Road. Linda Bell is the owner and is present. This belt won't come up to that table. Report by the department, the property is vacant and secure, the yards are acceptable. The property has been inspected 11 times. There's been no progress on the orders. There are no permits on file, and there has been contact with the owner as of yesterday. Um, and we're ready to proceed. Ma'am, do you know why you're here? Oh. Do you know why you're here? Yes. Okay. So the building commission is asking that you vacate a house and three sheds on your property. They're also requesting that um the house be raised as well as a shed. I talked to uh yesterday. There's been a lot of problems. My son was working on it, he ended up on charges. He's got he won't get out of prison until uh February, and then he'll finish the house. His name is on it, so too. Uh he's been in jail for a year, so I've been trying to deal with that and deal with him. Uh I talked to him yesterday. He said the bathroom, he showed me what needed to be fixed there. And I will try to get some of it done, but uh somebody went in and stole all the electric electric boxes, all my laugh fixtures that were in there. So I'm kind of starting from the beginning again. That was a new box to new fuses. Okay. Um, Mr. Dolphin, how do you want to proceed? Um, like to move forward with the question. Okay.

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