Cerro Gordo County supervisors on Monday, Nov. 10 held a public hearing on a proposed revision to the county nuisance ordinance known in the packet as Ordinance 11c and moved the measure for a first reading after extended public comment.

Carla Wilson, a county public health staff member, told the board the draft is “a revision of an ordinance that already exists within the books” and that the rewrite was intended to clarify definitions and align local language with relevant state chapters. She said the department removed one definition (abandoned building) during drafting and prepared annotated copies for supervisors and the public.

Several residents and farmers told supervisors the draft goes too far. Matthew Doan, who identified himself as a Cerro Gordo County landowner, said the ordinance “shifts the heavy costs onto ordinary rural families” by allowing the county to declare property a nuisance, send crews to clean it and put the expense on the owner via a tax lien. Doan argued the 10-day response window and authority to enter private land with a warrant could penalize routine farm activity, and he urged supervisors to vote no on Ordinance 11c.

Other speakers made similar points. A resident said some draft definitions use broad language such as “useless” or “worthless” that could criminalize ordinary items; Jason Hallberg, a resident of Buffalo Center, asked staff to put on the record what specific health threats the draft addresses and how its changes would remedy those problems, particularly how carcass removal on county roads would be handled.

County staff responded that the draft is primarily a cleanup of the nuisance code and that much of the language mirrors state statute. Staff provided a short case history for board members, saying the department received 26 nuisance complaints from 2023 to the present, four of which were unfounded; most complaints involved vacant or abandoned structures and accumulations of junk. Staff said they worked with the county weed commissioner and reviewed state chapters, including right-to-farm provisions, to avoid overstepping other agencies’ authority.

Supervisors and staff repeatedly emphasized intent to avoid improper enforcement in rural areas while also protecting residents in more densely populated or residential pockets of the county such as parts of Clear Lake and Mason City’s fringe. Board members suggested they could explore targeted language or spacing thresholds but said spot zoning or creating different rules for small geographic pockets would be impractical for countywide code.

After questions and discussion, the board closed the public-hearing portion of the meeting and a supervisor moved to approve Ordinance 11c on its first reading. The motion was seconded and a roll call was taken; the provided transcript does not clearly record a definitive roll-call outcome for the first-reading motion.

Votes at a glance from the Nov. 10 meeting (items discussed on the record): agenda and Nov. 3 minutes — approved; claims — approved; payroll and Resolution 2025 No. 63 (sheriff hires: three deputies, two jailers, effective various November dates) — approved; Resolution 2025 No. 64 (transfer of funds) — approved; sheriff’s monthly report of fees — approved; manure management report — approved; public hearing closed — approved; Ordinance 11c — motion moved for first reading (roll-call result not clearly recorded in transcript).

What’s next: The ordinance was moved for a first reading; supervisors indicated it was not the final vote and that staff would supply more detailed comparisons to state code and, if requested, options for narrower or geographically targeted language. Further readings or a final vote would come at a later board meeting.

Sources: Cerro Gordo County Board of Supervisors meeting transcript, Nov. 10, 2025 (public hearing and motions).