Flowers says politics is reason home condemned

The Minneapolis mayoral candidate claims inspectors have unfairly targeted the house he rents, which city officials deny.

By STEVE BRANDT, Star Tribune

Last update: July 18, 2009 - 10:52 PM

Minneapolis mayoral candidate Al Flowers said Saturday that the house he rents has been targeted by city inspectors, citing its condemnation last week for lack of water that Flowers said is still running.

Flowers said an inspector condemned the house on Thursday, shortly after he finished a shower, and ordered that it be vacated by today. But Flowers said he's not planning to leave.

The house is owned by Parviz Mirzamohammadi of Shakopee, who also said the water is on at the house, but had little other comment. According to city records, Flowers owes about $574 on his utility bill, of which about $448 is past due. He paid $300 in May but said money has been tight.

"They say I ain't got no water, but that's not true," said Flowers. He said the three-bedroom house in southwest Minneapolis has been hit with several inspection orders since he announced his candidacy in April. His attorney, Jill Clark, said the citations are politically motivated.

Not so, said Henry Reimer, the city's director of inspection services.

"I can assure you that our enforcement action at the property is not a result of a referral by the mayor's office or anybody at City Hall," said Reimer, adding that he was not familiar with the details of the current condemnation action. "We have standard operating procedures in place that determine when enforcement action is taken. We simply do not allow the elected officials to direct the enforcement activities of our office."

Flowers has been a community activist on a number of civil rights issues.

A jury in 2007 awarded him $3 plus attorney fees after finding that two council members had worked to remove his show from a city-affiliated cable network. In a pending suit against the city, he alleges that Council Member Don Samuels took physical action to keep him from speaking at a news conference last January. The council discussed that case in private on Friday.

Steve Brandt • 612-673-4438

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