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 Café 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
