covered with tarps. Compliance date was February 15, 2022. Quite a bit of stuff in
photos. Sounds like the owner is looking for extra time
Holmlund: I have been in the buying and selling business for years and ended up with
chronic pain and health issues that caused me to slow down. Yes I did it and yes it is
pretty bad. I have a storage locker with lots of room but I have trouble getting over
there. I’ve been working on it slowly. Covid got in the way, a couple of my workers
refused to get vaccinated, I have diabetes and asthma. My son was going to help but
his baby needs heart surgery Monday so he has to be very Covid cautious. All the
people I counted on haven’t been able to help. I called the garbage hauler and got I
figured out. We got rid of a bunch of stuff yesterday when it was warm. The garage, I
wonder if they are referring to my storage tents in the yard. I need to empty those in the
spring if I can have my big sale. Otherwise I’ll throw it. Frankly, I have a lot of books
and things to get rid of and I found a place to take those. I’ve been doing research on
where I can get rid of it instead of selling it. I have a lot of things that aren’t worth
fussing over anymore. A lot of my friends have waited to deal with their stuff. I the thrift
stores are filling up. There is stuff frozen to the ground in the backyard. We did make
as much progress as we can. I have asthma and have trouble breathing the cold air.
We’re taking care of what is visible in the front. We got rid of one third of the stuff by
the garage. I use a walker. My daughter has a pulled muscle under her arm. It is
incremental and have to work when we can with the weather. I wanted it gone before we
worked today, I was really upset. It has been so frustrating [crying]. Ever since we got
that notice my blood sugar has gone up 20 points. I need more time to fix it.
Moermond: this doesn’t sound like this is your first experience of needing to clear
things out, right?
Holmlund: the Council I was working with retired and I am working on it now. This is the
end of it. I had to put some in bins in a hurry. There are precious family things
intermingled with those things. I do have some of my best sale stuff out there. The
hauler was amazing only charged $3 a bag. We have a place to get rid of the metal
and wood stuff now. We’re having to do stuff more slowly because my husband turned
70. Covid has thrown me for a loop. I will be doing childcare for my son. They work for
the State fulltime. It is embarrassing. I have severe ADHD.
Moermond: and you don’t need to disclose this personal information. I don’t know the
City is going to have the patience to wait until spring sales. I think the City wants this
cleaned up. There is a lot there. One way is for you to clean it up, and one way is for
the City to clean it up. Sometimes the City doing it is easier even though it is more
expensive. I’m willing to work with you on an extension, but it is pretty bad. It didn’t get
that way overnight and you’ve had this experience before. So you know you’re in a bad
place you shouldn’t be.
Holmlund: yes. I do feel hopeful I can get it cleaned up once the weather is warmer. I’m
bringing in bins. I want a chance to find the important stuff. I had planned to have the
stuff out of the driveway by the time of our call. I’m actively doing things and I expect
there to be deadlines but I was hoping for incremental ones. Driveway by such and
such date and this area by such and such. I work well when I have a clear picture.
Moermond: I’m going to give you a deadline of April 1. I’m going to ask the inspector to
check on it April 4 and report back to me on Tuesday about whether you are done. If
you are not, the following day, Wednesday the 6 I will report to Council and they will
authorize the Department to finish the cleanup. So they could be doing the cleanup as
soon as Thursday the 7 or 8th of April. That gives you six weeks and whatever is left
the City will cleanup.
Holmlund: any chance you can give 2 more weeks?