About a year ago, Manassas embarked on our ill-fated attempt to do something about the overcrowding situation in our City. The outcome of that adventure is still not clear but the ordinance was taken off the books a couple of weeks after its passage. We are still waiting for the Department of Justice to render a decision in the matter. It may take an extended period of time to settle this once and for all.
I was elected after most of that took place. Since then (and for whatever reason), the number of complaints to the overcrowding hotline have dropped significantly but, as I drive and walk through our neighborhoods, I still see lots of problems. Not the overcrowding variety of problems (you don’t really see those on a walk-though of a neighborhood) but traditional “City” problems like trash in yards and around dumpsters, houses slated for demolition that are now vacant and run down, houses with cars parked in the yard (5 in one I saw – most seemed immoble) and the like. Problems that have been problems since the dawn of civilization (well, maybe not the cars). These are dangerous issues as they may be subtle and don’t happen all at once but the net effect is a gradual downward pressure on the neighborhood. The good news is these are nuts and bolts problems that Cities know how to deal with.
To this end, The City has recently hired a Zoning enforcement person to handle these complaints (the job was empty for awhile) so hopefully some of these problems will abate somewhat. I’m looking into a consolidated, streamlined way to handle the complaint process and the requisite City response but it will take a little bit of time. In the meantime, my question to you, is what am I missing? Is Manassas, for example, to the point of limiting the number of cars you can park on the street? Some municipalities have parking districts that limit the number of cars that can be parked on the streets. What kind of “Quality of life” problems do you see that the city seems to be missing?
January 20, 2007 at 5:25 pm
“Make Manassas Well Ordered – Should Enforce Ordinances”
” …. Are the streets without regulation? Are other grievances
sanctioned by law? If we have ordinances why are they not enforced?
If these ordinances have been rescinded it is well nigh time
another code is drawn up. Everyone likes a well-ordered town.
Why cannot Manassas be well ordered? We hope the day is near
at hand when Manassas can be proud of itself; of its laws,
and their enforcement.” THE MANASSAS DEMOCRAT, 1913.
January 20, 2007 at 8:18 pm
Andy,
The perception is out there that Manassas has backed off of it’s over-crowding efforts, until the whole HUD lawsuit thing is done. There’s a house on my cul du sac that I have called on several times. The first time was before the HUD suit. Violations were found, people were told to leave. The house was quiet for a bit, then there was a second infiltration. I called again, this time after the HUD suit. I was told that they would observe, but not enter the house unless there was evidence of over crowding, although I count about 17 to 20 adults and children living there.
This is a game of brinksmanship. How far are we willing to go. The illegal community thinks that the City isn’t willing to go that far, and I am starting to believe them. Sure, 287g will help to get the worst of the worst of the streets, but it does little to solve the over crowding problem. I say, enforce the heck out of the ordinances. Write everyone up who violates them, so that HUD can’t say we are targeting a specific group. Write me up if I am violating an ordinance. Just do something.
January 21, 2007 at 11:12 am
Steve,
The city is enforcing the fire and safety ordinances that are
based on state and national codes (of course, they allow a higher
number than many would like – 15+ people in a three bedroom
home for example), but that is basically the only tool we can clearly
use right now.
Local folks all over America are attempting to deal
with this issue with meager help from the federal government -and
no community has found a good answer. Hopefully our President
for the last six years will finally have something constructive to
say on this major issue Tuesday.
January 21, 2007 at 12:52 pm
“The city is enforcing the fire and safety ordinances that are
based on state and national codes ”
Big Dog,
I am well aware of the basis of the city’s enforcement, and believe that it is a sound way to approach this problem. I served on the City’s Future Task Force and had many discussions with the Fire Marshall, the Chief of Police, and all of our elected officials, regarding over crowding and illegal immigration. My point is that it appears to me that the city has become less “enthusiastic” about enforcement, since the HUD suit.
January 21, 2007 at 2:08 pm
I agree with Steve that the City has become less enthusiastic about confronting the illegals who are overcrowding single family residences in our neighborhoods. I also called about a 3 bedroom house in our neighborhood that was inhabited by about 20 single men. Cars were parked in the yard and trash was scattered around. The city employee I talked to essentially told me that they were unable to enforce regulations if the residents of the house being investigated lied — and that his perception was that there was widespread lying. He also told me that he thought the City Council was not serious about solving overcrowding, but only wanted to do enough to mollify complaining residents. This was before the Council was intimidated into retreating by the HUD lawsuit and threats from the ACLU and Mexicanos sin Fronteras.
Andy, in your post today, you are one of the few politicians willing to acknowledge that the City faces a problem (Jackson certainly has consistently acknowledged the problem and sought ways to address it). The first step in saving the City th might be for members of the Council to start walking the neighborhoods like Andy has and become more familiar with what is happening to most of the neighborhoods in Manassas.
January 21, 2007 at 5:03 pm
Everyone on the council realizes there is a major problem with
overcrowded housing in Manassas – the question is what to do about it.
The council, over a year ago, attempted to address the issue
with an ordinance, but was pounced on by THREE different
divisions of HUD and vultures like the ACLU and H.O.M.E.. The
national government has given communities across America NO help
on this issue, but has ample resources to shred them when,
by default, they attempt to deal with the problem at the local level.
I understand the frustation and anger, but
the fact is the feds have buildings full of lawyers and literally tons
of money. The council must use care and prudence to avoid
expensive lawsuits that might well leave the city much poorer
and in an even worst position.
Believe me, nobody likes this.
Curious if Bush, six years into his term, will even mention this on
Tuesday night. Stay tuned.
January 22, 2007 at 5:22 pm
“Everyone on the council realizes there is a major problem with
overcrowded housing in Manassas – the question is what to do about it.”
I beg to differ. Until Jackson Miller made it an issue, council was happy to dither and put off taking any real action. I hope that Andy H. and Marc Aveni will continue and expand what Miller began. I hope that other members of council realize that this is the most important issue facing Manassas. B-3.5, Opera Houses, redevelopment, and effective tax rates pale in comparison to illegal immigration and overcrowding. If November’s elections are any clue, from time to time voters get fed up with inaction. They Vote with their feet. They vote with their wallets. And sometimes, they get out in droves and vote. Ususally, they are pissed, and “throw the bums out”. I believe that the voters are getting angry, and unless some of the potential incumbants act quickly, they may find themselves without a nomination. Look at what happened with Judy Hayes. That is what turned the assembled convention to Maureen Wood.
You can’t make an omlette without cracking a few eggs. Council can’t afford to be timid. Every law, ordinance and program that can be leveraged, needs to be leveraged. They should look at what other jurisdictions are doing. They need to continue to act, and not get wobbly and weak-kneed at every protest and threatened lawsuit. I think they will find the people of Manassas behind them.
January 23, 2007 at 11:39 am
Steve,
Reflections:
– Jackson Miller deserves major credit for bringing the ICE program to
the council and helping Manassas take a leading role
with this concept. It is a limited program, but one that works
and communities are on solid legal ground with it.
– Look at what others are doing dept.. -We can all Google – the test
is not what is proposed, or even enacted, but what holds
up in court.
– Weed and feed dept. -A good city must do both – other progess
shouldn’t come to a halt because we haven’t controlled illegals.
– My take is Manassas is a moderately conservative city —
more towards the middle than recent GOP mass meetings —
in May 2006, the two more moderate candidates came in #1,#2
while those to the right came in #3 and zilch.
– Citizens deserve well thought out pragmatic answers – not
a race to land the the city in court with a questionable hand.
(Manassas has already had to put one million dollars in
reserve for possible litigation ).
– I’m eager to hear what Republican President Bush has to
say about immigration in tonight’s State of the Union.
January 23, 2007 at 11:52 am
Gentlemen:
Please, if you could, keep the discussion towards the subject. I understand that the politics of this is unavoidable but that’s not what this is primarily about.
January 23, 2007 at 12:15 pm
OK, but Steve Thomas started it.
Grrrr.
January 23, 2007 at 12:55 pm
Back on focus – Andy, you note that “that complaints to the
overcrowding hotline have dropped significantly” and I am
reminded of what former police chief Sam Ellis told me years ago when
we were on a pedal down campaign to clear major drug dealers
out of GTS and calls for service suddenly shot up which troubled me –
he observed, “calls go up because people see we are
doing something – you want them to drop – I can pull the task force”.
Food for thought.
January 23, 2007 at 3:36 pm
Just be thankful, I guess, that the enforcement folks can’t/don’t look in back yards!!! But neighbors sure can. Maybe if we started being neighborly we could talk to our neighbors and ask if they need assistance in cleaning up their messes? What ever happened to the “neighborhood”?
I have to say, we were lucky to live in such a neighborhood until just recently, when THOSE FOLKS, who decided they DID NOT want to be neighborly moved in…I say…GO BACK. If you DON’T WANT to be neighborly…move somewhere you don’t have to be (Like 20+ acres in some other county)…those of us who are, have no need for you.
I had a neighbor who had a broken fence once…after giving some small hints as to when they might fix it…”soon” was the answer. After a year or so, one Sunday morning I knocked on their door to see if I could be of assistance in “taking it down” so that it would look better…I was met with “WELL SO & SO was going to take it down/fix it.” At which time I stated, that was a year ago you said that and I’m here to help today. They allowed me to take it down and help them with a little yard work as well. Not only did I assist them with making their yard look better but my own as well…THE COST…SWEAT!…which, by the why, is an excellent way of clearing the mind and soul and detoxifying the body.
Be neighborly and let’s make MANASSAS LOOK BETTER!!!!!!!!
January 23, 2007 at 3:45 pm
If you’ve ever been to “SOUTH OF THE BORDER”…and no I’m not talking about South Carolina….this is their culture. They can be standing RIGHT NEXT TO A TRASH CAN and will throw their trash on the ground.
It is our responsibilty to “TAKE THEM TO SCHOOL” to understand, this is not how we do things in AMERICA…OK…our neighborhood. Because there ARE some American’s who have their yards look this way too!
BRING BACK THE INDIAN crying, standing in the stream!!!!!!! That’s what taught me growing up! ya ya I know…I’m old! LOL
January 23, 2007 at 3:48 pm
Of course…maybe not as old as BIG DOG, giving a quote out of a 1913 paper!!!!!!!!!! LOL
January 23, 2007 at 5:41 pm
Just read update on the WaPo website about a Federal sweep for
illegal alien criminals in the Santa Ana, Calif. area – it is
called “Operation: Return to Sender” and Feds have arrested over
700 fugitives! Now, folks, how do we get the Feds to do something
like that HERE? (I’m e-mailing Congressman Wolf and our
two Senators and suggest you do the same.)
January 23, 2007 at 9:03 pm
Once again I agree with Steve Thomas that until Jackson Miller was on the City Council, there was no attempt to address the illegal/immigrant overcrowding issue in Manassas. I too hope that the Marc Aveni and Andy H. will help lead the council to once again address the issue. Hand wringing and claiming that we fear lawsuits so we will do nothing will only contribute to the decline of Manassas. BTW, I see nothing wrong with Steve’s pointing out that failure by the current council to address the illegal immigration overcrowding issue is, and should be, a decisive issue when voters choose candidates for the City Council, and in the eventual election for City Council.
Big Dog is correct that we would not be facing this problem if immigration laws were enforce at the Federal level. Those of you who have not written your Congressman and Senators should do so.
January 23, 2007 at 10:51 pm
SL, et.al.:
I’m not finding fault with Steve’s post, just looking for input. For my part, allow me to be clear: There is little doubt that Jackson brought this issue to the forefront of City politics. To follow what Jackson has done, I believe we need input from citizens to craft better policy to help deal with the problem. That’s all I’m trying to do.
January 24, 2007 at 1:54 pm
Andy, thanks for offering a positive venue to share our views and opinions! There are a few other websites that only deal in rhetoric and vile language instead of grounded ideas and real solutions. Keep up the civil and open conversation, please!
I do hope the “Zoning Enforcement Officer” will handle the complaint process and then follow up with direct action. I do not know of any “boarding houses” in our neighborhood, but rather, we have a few houses that are filled with very large families (hopefully safe for all of the kids!), judging by the huge Suburbans parked on the streets. A bigger problem seems to be the many houses that have been left vacant for a year or more with no signs of selling or renting in the near future. What can we do???
January 24, 2007 at 11:09 pm
Well, you could email me the addresses and I can look into it. I don’t know if there is anything that can be done if the houses are well maintained but I’ll be happy to find out.
January 25, 2007 at 9:03 am
“OK, but Steve Thomas started it.
Grrrr. ”
If you say so.
Andy,
I do see hope on the horizon. It looks as f there is finally some momentum in Richmond, and perhaps some state laws will be passed, which will grant some cover, and some relief to localities such as ours. I think your meeting with the local HOA’s is a good idea, not only on this issue, but others as well. When you have some time, I’d like to invite you into my neighborhood, where we don’t have an HOA, and show you a couple of things that have me concerned.
January 25, 2007 at 11:57 am
Ok, not 100% germane to the topic, but something that deserves
some sane, rational discussion:
— Slide from Manassas School Superintendent’s Power Point
presentation to the School Board (1-23-2007).
FY05-08 Enrollment
Category FY05 FY08 (projected)
General Ed. 4,245 2,932
ESL 1,664 2,589
Special Ed. 826 825
Total 6,735 6,346
January 28, 2007 at 10:34 am
Suggest folks read today’s WaPo – PW section – “Manassas School Buget
Bump Reflects Demograpics” and “Manassas Board Takes on
‘No Child’ Mandate” – and, in the Op/Ed Outlook section – letter
from Herndon’s mayor “In Herdon, We Respect Immigrants – And The
Rule of Law”.
Like Herndon, Manassas citizens are not motivated by hate, nor are
they racists.
Legal immigration is a nourishing rain, illegal immigration is
a damaging flood. How long will the foundations of our beloved
Manassas be able to hold?
Having compassion and respect for a diverse vibrant community
shouldn’t turn into a suicide pact.
January 28, 2007 at 2:28 pm
And also Google up the latest edition of The Herndon Connection
newspaper and read “Evolution of the Hunt for Overcrowding” –
appears Herndon, a far smaller community than Manassas, has five
full time zoning folks with another six to help when needed to
combat overcrowding – their budget for this is 550K and going up.
Is it working? Has it withstood legal challenge? Will try and learn more.
January 29, 2007 at 4:57 pm
Andy,
This is a difficult nut to crack. I think the Council needs to look at what Fairfax County has done about overcrowding, and related issues. Also, as has been suggested look at what the town of Herndon has done.
As for the trash and the general upkeep of neighborhoods, that is an even tougher nut to crack. How do you go about stopping people from littering? Or maintaining a nice yard? Sure, most folks do not litter and do a good job on landscaping, but as you know it only takes one or two homes on any street to ruin the entire street.
The City can print all the literature they want in order to inform residents about the responsibilities that come with home ownership. However, that will not work on those that do not care about how their homes and yards look. There comes a tipping point for many communities and even Cities, when the number of residents who do not take pride in their community climbs enough to the tipping point. I am afraid that Manassas is quickly approaching that point.
January 29, 2007 at 5:07 pm
I forgot to add a couple of thoughts to my point regarding how the City can help maintain the quality of life. Many of these issues come down to personal responsibility of home owners and renters, and unfortunately, I don’t believe the City can force people to have personal responsibility when it comes to maintaining their homes and yards.
January 31, 2007 at 3:23 pm
Andy
Thanks for asking for our opinions!
Courtesy, personal responsibility, civic pride are all part of the American ideal. Unfortunately as our nation has evolved, we seem to have lost touch with some of our core values. Equally as problematic, because they are values it is difficult to impossible to legislate them.
However there are things that can be legislated and enforced that get to the root of the problem. Unkempt lawns, trash and disrepair, parking on the lawns, commercial vehicles in residential neighborhoods, etc all get at the zoning enforcement issue. Another pet peeve of mine, we have a City ordinance concerning shoveling the right of way front sidewalk. Yet children (and adults) routinely walk in the street for days after a snowstorm because individuals lack the courtesy to abide by this simple ordinance.
I believe we have many of the ordinances we need; we simply have elected not to enforce them. The idea of limiting the street parking to one car per home is also interesting, provided that we then strictly enforce and penalize people for parking in lawns. We would also need to amend ordinances to specifically state that no more than a specified percentage of a yard could be a non-permeable surface (in affect precluding from making their front yard a parking lot).
The thought of additional staff as “Zoning Enforcement Officers” concerns me from a cost perspective. However, I suspect that the fine structure could be adjusted so that the enforcement becomes revenue neutral to positive.
Speaking of revenue and tying it to overcrowding, I would support user fees specifically aimed at overcrowding (such as surcharge fees for excessive waste or surchage fees for excess water/sewage consumption).
January 31, 2007 at 5:44 pm
Scott:
Two things – I believe there is an ordinance that concerns how much of your yard you can pave. The car idea is interesting but seems somewhat draconian….I have had others suggest it but I can’t figure out how to make it fair. I’m open for suggestions tho.
January 31, 2007 at 9:08 pm
I know for a fact the idea of limiting on street parking on a public street has been investigated by City staff and they were informed by the City Attorney that that would not be legal as long as the vehicle was parked legal and had all the requited tags and licenses. All good ideas but we must be careful in what laws we write. You know what happens when you don’t look at the unintended consequences. I also believe the zoning office does a great job of responding to complaints less and except the time period they had no inspector. However, they do not have the staff to be pro-active. Look at other jurisdictions and the number of inspectors they have. It seems to me the City hires all the high priced employees like neighborhood coordinators but no one to go out and actually do enforcement. I would like to know what the heck the economic development person does. I could be wrong but do we really need to spend that much money on a person to market the few acres of land the City has left? I think that money could btter be used with enforcemnt people in the zoning office, property maintenance office and fire marshal’s office. Not a sermon, just a thought!