Fighting City Hall From Within: An Ongoing Series VI
Matt Shorraw, Mayor, City of Monessen
Part VI
The State of Monessen’s Public Safety — Part 2.
In the previous article, we discussed the role of Emergency Management Coordinator, and why it important for Monessen to have one. In this article, we will discuss the role of Monessen’s Code Enforcement Department, where it has been lagging, and how it can better; and also why code enforcement is so crucial to Monessen’s future.
In any city, the Code Enforcement Department is there to ensure that properties are kept up to code. This is so that the health, safety, and beauty of the city are retained; and so that residents and their neighbors can live in strong neighborhoods. It is no secret that two of Monessen’s biggest issues are blight and code enforcement. That is no surprise when you go from a population of about 20,000 people to a population of about 7,500. If we would manage to clean up the blight and code violations by fixing properties that are salvageable, demolishing those that need it, and attracting developers into the city to renovate existing homes and build new homes, this would attract new, taxpaying residents. We’ve been stuck in this rut for a long time, and we really need to get our Code Department in order.
The two current code enforcement officers have been doing what they can, but this endeavor is not a part-time job. The residents of the city are paying their taxes for services — to ensure that they have a decent quality of life — and we need to provide that. We have the tools to implement blight and development strategies, but we are not using them.
There are some concerns I see right off the bat that can and should be fixed. First, code enforcement officers should be trained and certified, in order to issue the proper licenses and do the necessary inspections for homes and businesses. Right now, that is not the case. Additionally, it would be in Monessen’s best interest for code enforcement to be done by a company, rather than an individual, and that company should not be from the immediate area. This way, code enforcement is unbiased and does not play favorites, and the federal, state and local laws are followed as applicable for each situation. In doing this, all permitting fees will be collected, all code issues will be resolved equally, and all licenses and inspections will be properly issued. In the past, Monessen’s code enforcement department was able to do enough work to keep the city relatively cleaner than it is now, and to generate enough revenue to fund most of that department.
In our fight against blight, we see many people who own vacant and dilapidated properties in Monessen but live in well-kept homes either in Monessen or nearby communities. Essentially, with the Pennsylvania Act 90 of 2010, the city could lien property owners’ homes until their blighted structures are addressed. Several years ago, Monessen adopted Pennsylvania’s Act 90 of 2010. It has never been used.
The “Neighborhood Blight Reclamation and Revitalization Act”, known commonly as “Act 90”, took effect in Pennsylvania on April 25, 2011. It expands the powers the municipalities have to reduce blighted properties in their communities. Properties that are in “serious code violation”, as determined by local municipalities and zoning officers, can have the following legal actions taken against them. Also, buildings that are determined to be a “public nuisance” by local municipalities may have the same actions taken.”
- Actions may be taken if, after 6 months from the date of an order to correct violations, there has been “no substantial step” to correct those violations.
- Liens can be placed against properties with code violations (as per older laws).
- Municipalities can take property owners to court, to seek judgments against an owner’s assets (new power).
- Municipalities may deny permits to owners of buildings that are in code violation (new power).
- Municipalities may deny permits to owners of buildings that are behind in other municipal accounts (water, sewage, refuse collection, etc.) (new power).
- Municipalities may deny these permits until all existing violations are remedied (new power).
- Out-of-state property owners may be extradited back to Pennsylvania to be charged with property-related violations (new powers).”
Additionally, Monessen also enacted a ‘Quality of Life’ ordinance last year, which would reshape Monessen’s code enforcement to a ticketed system (much like the concept of a parking ticket). This ordinance is on the books but has not yet been implemented.
Blight and code enforcement are two of the city’s biggest issues, and public safety is an important aspect of the city government. Unfortunately, all three of these things have been neglected over the past few years. We have the tools to address these issues, and the ability to leverage funds to make new development a reality. In doing this, we will improve the quality of life for all of our residents.
Source: https://monrivertowns.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Act-90-Summary.pdf
MS
