OTTUMWA — Flooding, looting and lack of a county housing code add up to problems for Hidden Valley Trailer Court residents, many of whom are Latinos.

That was the message from Hugo Cividanes, coordinator of the New Iowa Center at Iowa Workforce Development, who said Wednesday that “people have property missing” from Hidden Valley Trailer Court. Cividanes was one of the speakers at the Ottumwa Diversity Network meeting.

During Cividanes’ report on the New Iowan Center, Ottumwa Mayor Dale Uehling had asked him “what problems Latinos” and other immigrants have had due to the flood.

The mayor said it was “a darn shame” someone took $3,500 of copper wire out of the pumps that were removing water from the trailer court. He also said Hidden Valley is out in the county and the residents “had problems with water out there this spring.”

Citizen Mary Ann Reiter said Wapello County has no housing code.

“There needs to be an initiative to try to talk to the county supervisors about why there isn’t one,” she said.

“It is needed. There are places that need inspected,” Uehling said.

“We should invite residents to speak up,” said Norma Rosales, an immigration counselor with Iglesia Bethel Immigration Program.

“The owners use intimidation,” Himar Hernandez said.

“We need to get a housing code group going. Sign up if you’re interested,” Uehling said.

Graffiti, gangs

During his report on graffiti and gangs, Police Chief Jim Clark thanked citizens who report information but also cautioned them to be patient.

“Please don’t expect immediate results. It takes time,” Clark said. “People will ask why we’re not doing anything. We’re working on it and can’t say what we’re doing.”

Uehling commended Clark and his department for the work done to break up “a street gang from Chicago and a multi-million dollar drug organization” trafficking in the Ottumwa area. City police and numerous other law agencies were involved in the bust.