Thursday, December 8, 2005

LONA Meeting Minutes of November 14, 2005

LONA Meeting Minutes of November 14, 2005

Meeting began at 7:07pm

Announcements:

- Vice Pres. Bob Van Sice was sick and could not attend this meeting

- please make sure your name and email information is correct

- we need street captains!

Please report any action on you street, or repairs needed, like street lights that are out or big potholes, etc.

Burglary/Robbery Report - NET’s Policeman Joe Hayes:

- few incidents in our area for the past month

Comment: Bergen St was not listed because it was a vacant property, so not counted as Burg/Rob

- Kessler, Robin, Avery Streets: close proximity in the area

- criminals are looking for unlocked doors or windows or high shrubs; they search for targets with the least resistance; don’t leave keys in cars - even when pumping gas!

- PS2's, X-Box, DVD players and other electronic equipment pieces are being stolen

- Santee St: walk-up with a knife, people came to help victimized neighbor and robber was scared off

- Day Light Savings Time: providing criminals with the cover of darkness

- we must watch out for each other; call 911 when something doesn’t look right in our neighborhood

- three to four group size of teens ages 15-18 were seen watching people, good reason to call 911

- new mayor Bob Duffy, and new police chief effective January 1, 2006, re: chief - more than ten names are being tossed around

Q: CGR (Center for Governmental Research) - any news on the future of the NET program?

A: NET’s Sharon Conheady: no word yet - CGR met with everybody - waiting for recommendations to go to City Council

A: NET’s Policeman Joe Hayes: there’s always need for the code inspectors, local officers, enforcement, etc

President Mike Visconte:

brought up a Community PAC-TAC Walk informational flyer that was distributed to another neighborhood group; to help entice participants, they offered refreshments and neighborhood dollars that could be spent at their local participating stores/businesses

A: NET’s Policeman Joe will look into getting a similar program to happen here in our Sector 3

- Larry Stid died; 66 years, former deputy mayor

- street redesign of Lyell: Vice Pres. Bob Van Sice will try to attend

Comment: NET’s Sharon Conheady - there has been flooding on those streets

- bids Glide/Lyell to Emerson; proposals are being taken now

- President Mike suggested "cut out" for parking at the park located at Glide and Emerson Streets

A: NET’s Sharon Conheady - good suggestion, the bidder called NET for Mike’s contact info/phone number

- Friday, November 18 at 10 Felix Street Water Works ground breaking ceremony at 2pm, followed by a reception with refreshments, parking at 25 Felix Street

- cookbooks are still available for sale!

Housing List - The Top 15 Properties Of Concern:

- 5 taken off, and 5 put on

- some locations were referred to the police; NET Officer Dave Minik will follow up with us

NET’s Sharon Conheady:

- building at Emerson and Santee St with safety issues, crumbling bricks

- talked, ticketed, finally took owner to demolition hearing; findings will most likely be that owner will have 3 to 4 months to either fix or demolish

- next-door neighbor has been having a hard time retaining tenants due to the safety concerns with the structural damage on the corner building

- Inspector Mary fined the owner every 60 days for 2 to 3 years

Certificate Of Use (CofU) for businesses - some business owners picketed city hall

- $100 fee to get the CofU initially, only $10 per year to renew; may cost $300 for a conditional certificate if the store has problem activity

- strict distinction is made between the owner and the manager

- NET met with stores regarding nuisance points; many received for staying open after listed hours, such as the business at Emerson and Curlew Streets

Q: curbs that were to be put in back in 1998, still haven’t been done

A: Sharon will look into this issue - also, call Dept. of Health if rodents are there in sewers/drains

- opened 245 new property code cases, closed 342, surveys - those were opened by inspectors when they were out looking at a different site; 76 refuse letters were sent out

Comment NET’s Policemen Joe - crime prevention: "knock and talk", cars were towed, noise control; can’t make it easy for the bad guys!

Q: categories are odd

Answer: NET’s Sharon Conheady - sometimes the term that the caller uses is what the complaint is logged as

Q: 50' noise ordinance - where does it begin?

A: NET’s Policeman Joe - 50' past the property line during the day, not past the property line from 10pm-6am

Comment: with homes close together, should have more consideration for others’ comfort level

- reference to back page of the NET’s statistics pages: enforcement cases in Sector 3 - 423

Q: what is a nuisance letter?

A: nuisance points letter sent to owner to inform them of the warrant against the tenants because of infringement; owner must take serious steps to shut down the location so drug people don’t come back looking for sellers at their property

President Mike Visconte:

met with newly elected mayor Bob Duffy

- we need vacant properties sold or repaired; something must be done!

- asked for money for grants like the ones given to Champion and Michigan Streets

Comment: problem property fixed gutter so there isn’t any water running onto the neighbor’s property

Comment: Karnes St vacant home has a broken gutter and therefore direct water that turns to ice onto neighbor’s driveway

Cameron Community Ministries - Kathy Pierce, Executive Director:

- been active for 21 years, offer well attended kids programs

- very busy general lunch program Monday through Saturday

Rob Blair (new youth director) - school #30 kids after school Monday through Thursday and free Kids CafĂ© supper program for everyone under 18 years old

- clothing sold for a modest fee, donations are accepted, volunteers are always needed

- interested in hearing from the LONA community

- Cameron Community Ministries is not a food pantry

- they distribute lots of hats, gloves, and mittens

Comment: kids activities - would they be interested in helping to shovel snow/rake leaves to help older folks?

A: Rob - some groups of sixth graders might be interested, many of their kids are too young

Q: could they cut grass? A: kids need jobs, money, opportunities, so everybody could benefit

Mike: if the kids help the area, maybe LONA could throw them a pizza party/something else nice

City Councilman Bob Stevenson:

- there are currently three proposals regarding making Rochester city homes lead safe

- could cost all property owners anywhere from half a million to 29 million

- affects any house built before 1960, basically that’s every house in the city

- vacant properties could balloon because the average would cost $7500 per unit to fix to make lead-safe

environmental impact:

1. Inspection, 2. Who does, and who pays for it?, 3. Who pays for clean up?, 4. Who pays for re-inspection?

- What triggers an inspection? A complaint by the tenant, C of O, etc?

- no answer yet; will be voted on by December 20th; any thing not passed dies because it does not transfer to the new city council

Comment: if you have three or four units, it could cost $30K to $40K!

Q: What is the inspector’s fee - if a homeowner wants to make sure that their own home is lead safe for their children or grandchildren.

A: $35-$50 (not sure of the number part right now) for the C of O, which is only for rental property

Get The Lead Out program through Action for a Better Community, contact Karen Herman

federalgrants, HUD, county doesn’t even try for the funds - many hoops to jump through to receive funds, not very flexible

- Who pays? Where does the money come from?

- Draft Environmental Impact Statement: effects could be in: Edgerton - 21% vacancy, LONA area - once past Glide Street the numbers went way down,

- lead safe work practices: county will pay for the training with a grant

County Health Dept. - Environmental of Health - Community development, they know answers/guidelines

- there will be a change of many positions with the new mayor and new council

Court Watch - 4 judges are good to work with, but they are still limited

- report/call-in the prostitutes back to the judges!

Neighbor Concerns:

- drug sales on Michigan and Curlew Streets

- prostitutes on Rockview and Isabelle Streets

- suspicious activities on Cameron and Rockview Streets

Bob Stevenson update: - Mr. Finger went in front of a grand jury on October 24th because of his electrical interference with neighbors electronics - more information to come

Bring a dessert to our next meeting on December 12th - and bring a neighbor or two!

Meeting adjourned 8:36pm

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