HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE! You may have already received the good news in your mail box, but just in case, I am announcing it here: CITY CODES IS CRACKING DOWN ON PROPER PACKAGING OF GARBAGE. Residents have been asking for this for a long time, as part of our 3-part garbage problem in the West Ward. See my earlier post here for details on this 3-part problem, (the post also covers the latest developments on getting a street sweeper for a more comprehensive street cleaning program to start this Spring).
In the notice, WW resident Diane Reynolds, our new code officer, instructs everyone to put their garbage out in trash cans with lids, and be careful to separate recyclables from trash. This new push is important to ensuring that garbage does not fall out of open trash cans and blow around in the wind, landing in the street and other neighbor's yards. Diane goes on to say that neighbors can call the Codes office anonymously to report properties where garbage is packaged improperly at (610) 250-6724.
Anyone who, after being notified by the Codes office, does not comply with these ordinances will be subject to citation and fines of up to $1000/day. I hope that the Codes office will levy maximum fines on all absentee landlords who do not make sure their tenants package garbage properly. This could have a great positive impact on the overall look of our neighborhood. Maybe these landlords will begin to check up on their properties more often, and to include proper packing of garbage in their leases, evicting tenants who break the ordinance and cause them to get fined.
Between this new push to enforce proper packaging of garbage, and the new street sweeping program promised to us this Spring, 2010 is starting to look like it might be a much cleaner more attractive year for the West Ward. All we need now is a program to handle the third part of the 3-part problem: litter pick-up. If we can't work out a way to get the Ambassadors of Easton to pick up around here like they do so beautifully Downtown, I'm all for starting a work release program with dads who are taking up space in our jail because they're behind on child support. These are not dangerous criminals. Let's give them a job that cleans us our neighborhood and gives them a chance to send their kids some money, get out of jail and get back to leading productive lives.
Yours,
Noel Jones
Neighbors of Easton
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9 comments:
Although I do not feel it would be a bad idea to get some Ambassador-like program started in the West Ward (and I don't see a problem with using them vs re-inventing the wheel with a new program) I also believe it would be an empty gesture unless some mechanism is put in place to get people to start cleaning up their own property.
I saw the Ambassadors this summer in front of an apartment house on the 100 block of Bushkill Street, cleaning up long-ignored trash on the sidewalk and gutters in front of these speculator-owned apartments. I mentioned to them the idea that they should be giving summonses to the owners instead of cleaning up for them. They said if they did'nt do it (the cleaning), then no one would.
I have no problem with the Ambassaodrs providing clean-up duties on th business streets of downtown, but Bushkill Street is the fringe and contains practically no retail businesses...My Prudential office, Genesis Bicycles and Noble Arts Piano being the only three in that stretch and we clean up after ourselves.
Why should the Ambassadors perform the clean-up function of tenants or buidling managers when they people should be concentrating on the commercial properties? I believe that any one-time clean-up performed in front of an owner or tenant occupied building should be followed up with a written report by Ambassadors to the city so that the responsible party can be identified and fined if necessary.
I would also institute that procedure with any new program in the West Ward. It would be nice to believe that people respected their neighbors enough to maintain their property but if they don't, ignoring the problem or paying someone else to do it for them isn't a long term solution.
If they won't do it of their own free will they will have to be leveraged into compliance by whatever penalties we can impose. There would be a hell of a lot less to deal with in the WW if we actually held people more responsible for their actions.
DRL
DRL,
that goes along w/ what I've stated a few times here: the need to lead by example. I clean up trash in the yard and the street almost daily (sometimes it's just too cold :) )and pick stuff up in others' yards if its substantial. it goes towards making my property look better too.
this mornings snow shoveling was the same thing; I felt ambitious because the snow was light so I cleared out the 3 cars in front of my home.
some by their actions are saying "why should I do it?"
but I'm saying, if I don't do it, who will?
in my 14 years here, my observation is renters will not clean up the yard (much less the gutter!) or shovel anymore than is necessary to get their own car out.
I would be opposed to getting the Ambassadors up here; instead, landlords should be required to keep the sidewalk and gutter clean just as they are required to shovel the sidewalk.
good points, just keep our 55% rental rate in mind...
I have been waiting for days since the Taxation issue surfaced,don't want to snow on anyone's holiday here but I was waiting for a moment to be able to adequately,respond to some issues.
I live in the "HOOD" yep,folks that's right, that's what us folks here in the middle of Ferry St. between 11th & 12th call it,not quite as wholesome as the West Ward.
I watched the snow fall like everyone did and I thought this would be a perfect time to check out "our" services.
The Ambassador's are great, I agree with Dennis, they do a great job. But after watching them receive funding and I agreed they should be funded to a degree how do they decide where they will be? We in the WW need to have our own little "Ambassador's".
I saw a snow plow twice,during the storm. After spending most of Sunday outside. Ferry St was almost impossible to negotiate, I saw our "Boy's in Blue" twice, I saw neighbor's helping neighbors, and I saw "Apex Management", they are not a bad outfit although most of their places have electric heat, and they have a lot of turnover because of that. And then after helping two elderly neighbor's,because I didn't want to see them keel over in the snow and it was light I too, shoveled them out.I saw the usual suspects halking their skills with a shovel for whatever reason. Hey, this is the "HOOD" you don't ask,people barely speak to one another as it is, A great deal of Diversity.
The "SLUMLORDS" didn't do anything yet! Except keep trying to extract their pounds of flesh. But they seem to be able to keep on doing it. I talk to some of my Neighbor's and they are mostly unaware of people like the Ambassador's, they are more worried about living day to day,and as far as services,heck,people are so unaware of what is available or they just refuse to be accountable.
Or they are so thoroughly disgusted that they feel that things are just status quo.
Dennis, you speak about accountability, you were the only person in the West Ward that cared enough,other than my current Landlord, Emil Elias who were concerned enough to contact me. Oh No, Peter Koehler sent me a very nice letter ,but at the time he had nothing available. Well,where in the heck was the welcome Wagon folks? I intend to pursue action against my old Landlord to the fullest extent of the law, but what about someone who can't maneuver the system like I.
So back to Taxation VS Services, The entire issue of local taxes is reliant on a bit of Legislature hung up & will continue to be so due to the vast amount of corruption and the political haggling over table games,while meanwhile EIT rises and we bail out pension funds so John Q, Government Job can retire and then get another job to insure that house in Florida. Don't get me wrong folks,I don't deny anyone who has worked hard all their lives a long,happy life but what about the little guy?? What about the fact that 10% of Northampton County's residents are on Medical Assistance and all the other ill's. Just some food for thought while we cut our Holiday Hams.Oh,and Thanks to all the nice ladies,at the Code Office who tried to help me out during my Ant infestation crisis and Slumlord eviction but sorry I am gonna halve to be the Grinch to whoever issued a certificate of Occupancy for the SlumLords Joint. Shalom
The number: 610 250 6724. You can anonymously report garbage improperly put out. Its a good place to start. The landlords need to be fined. Thats where the pressure has to be.
Anon, you are exactly right THAT is a good place to start. One of my issues with the Slumlord was he wanted me to pay to put out his Industrial Trash,He still does it but he seems to be above the law. Well,we shall see.......I refuse to be daunted,I think that to paraphrase the good old 12 steppers. "I can't,We can!" A place to start for the game plan,garbage...and thanks for re-posting the number
I agree with DRL that efforts to educate people make more sense than attempting to clean up. It is expensive to run a clean up program such as Ambassadors. A program involving homeless or prisoners would not be as expensive.
The ambassadors are paid by a donation. The city is proposing a special district where properties will be taxed to provide this service.
I don't think that is such a great idea. It means that dowwntown will have public services different from the rest of the community because they can afford it. We need to have community wide approaches to problems. Efforts to provide programs for the downtown which stop at 5th or 6th street only perpetuate problems in the west wards. I cant imagine why a downtown property owner would opt for a higher tax because they were too lazy to push a broom. Then I see the people pushing this program are not really the property owners. taxes and feees are so high
Anon, I agree,education is key and people have to accept personal responsibility. But we have groups and newsletters etc. Why is it that in my neck of the woods the only Ambassadors are a small group of folks who are ready to start a Vigilante type thing,and they are serious. Not gun toting but self organized and just plain sick of it all. A pretty diverse group who have approached me for some assistance. I think after the holidays you are going to see some things start to fall into place but,we need good old fashioned "outreach".
Homeless folks,what is their incentive and prisoners,red tape. We need legislature folks and serious code enforcement, and someone to reach out to a disenfranchised community and make them feel that they are being heard. Otherwise status quo. Tough problems,Tough solutions.
You are so very correct. No educational program will work without some big stick to enforce attitudes. I think trying to pay for "ambassadors" with tax dollars will not work unless there is a community wide effort.
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