Albertville woman suspects retaliation after basketball hoop report
Albertville woman not backing down over basketball hoop
An Albertville homeowner suspects retaliation from the city, who wants her to remove her basketball hoop. FOX 9's Mike Manzoni has the story.
ALBERTVILLE, Minn. (FOX 9) - An Albertville woman who has been in a nearly yearlong fight with the city over a basketball hoop on her property suspects the city retaliated after she spoke with FOX 9.
Albertville mother calls utility worker visit ‘a little fishy’
What happened:
A utility worker knocked on Bibeau’s door on Wednesday morning, less than 12 hours after she spoke with FOX 9 to discuss her ongoing fight with the city.
In a doorbell camera video, the worker told Bibeau he was sent there as part of a basketball hoop removal. He said he had to locate the gas lines as part of that process.
Bibeau informed him that she did not intend to take down the hoop and asked him to leave her property. She said she has not heard from the city since then.
The backstory:
The hoop was already there when Bibeau and her husband bought the house in 2020. She said she did not have a problem until November, when the city sent the first of two letters.
The first letter asked her to remove the hoop, citing a code violation because the hoop was in a right-of-way. The second letter, which was sent weeks later, warned her that the city planned to remove the hoop and bill her for the cost. Although the city abandoned those plans because the ground was frozen, she said it plans to remove the hoop soon.
What they're saying:
"I am angry, actually. I am super upset that this is becoming a thing," said Bibeau. "It feels a little retaliatory. Yeah — kind of suspicious. It feels a little fishy."
City says hoop is in right-of-way, violates city code
The response:
In an email to FOX 9 on Tuesday afternoon, Adam Nafstad, the city administrator, said: "The city has requested that the property owners... remove the basketball hoop from the street right-of-way." He did not say when the city plans to remove the hoop.
Nafstad did not respond to a request for comment on Friday.
What's next:
Bibeau said she plans to speak at the next city council meeting on Monday, where she hopes to convince the city to change its mind. She also said a contractor reached out to her and offered to remove the hoop for free.