Resident alleges code‑enforcement destroyed community gardens, asks St. Joseph council to investigate

Philip Coleman, who identified himself as a member of a small nonprofit that gardens to feed the community, told the St. Joseph City Council that city workers removed gardens and trees at 2330 and 2332 South Eleventh Street and that code‑enforcement staff have harassed residents.

"They came back to my property the other day, and they cut down my hazelnut trees. They cut down my mulberry trees," Coleman said, adding that he had been "constantly harassed by code enforcement" and accused a department employee (referred to in the transcript as both "Josten Carr" and "Justin Carr") of trespassing, destroying private property and making "threats of extortion." Coleman asked the council to investigate and to "cease immediately any unconstitutional actions against the people."

Clerk and presiding officers acknowledged Coleman’s comment and asked for the property addresses; no staff response or follow‑up action was recorded in the transcript during the meeting. Coleman said the garden effort was intended to "grow food for our community" and that neighbors were fearful of enforcement for planting because of a seven‑inch rule mentioned in his remarks.

What the record shows: Coleman provided street addresses (2330 and 2332 South Eleventh Street) and asked for council intervention; the transcript does not include a formal staff rebuttal or an immediate commitment to open an internal investigation. Spelling and name note: the commenter named a code‑enforcement employee in two ways in the record; identity and details were not clarified on the record.