The Crawford County Commission hosted a work session on Tuesday to discuss a horse rescue operation located in a largely residential area on E 20th St. in Pittsburg.
Tensions ran high as Rich Rhuems, a resident near the horse rescue operation owned by Dani Menghini and Jennifer Girth, addressed the commission regarding what Rhuems said are inappropriate conditions for horses, as well as excessive trash on the property. Commissioner Carl Wood was a vocal opponent of maintaining the status quo. He said he’s been hearing complaints about the operation’s property for four years.
Zoning Administrator Troy Graham said he’d driven by the property several times and had not seen excessive trash. Similarly, Commissioner Tom Moody said Menghini and Girth had stopped by his office earlier in the week and insinuated that any trash had been cleaned up. Menghini and Girth were not present at the meeting. Instead, they were represented by Pittsburg attorney Rick Smith who challenged the commission on the legitimacy of the process.
“They’ve been subjected to numerous inspection by Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), environmental and state inspections, and they’ve never had any problems,” Smith said. “You’re conducting a hearing without due process.
“You haven’t told them at any point in time what the allegations are.“
Smith says Menghini and Girth are owed due process.
“We are entitled to a hearing, either you or zoning court,” he said. “This is not appropriate conduct.“
(Read more: Pittsburg Morning Sun)