One of the challenges that any organization faces is changing with the times. As the face of Manassas has changed over the years, the Government has been forced to adapt to changing climes. As development rounds out and changes from single family house to higher density in a couple of areas, the things that the government must do to maintain the status quo changes. This has been a challenge that our staff has been tussling with of late.
About 4 years ago, the initial change was to simply add more inspection staff. Some folks didn’t like the increased number of inspections but we want a neat, orderly city and more enforcement became necessary. Lately, we’ve changed our ordinances to take advantage in changes in state law that give us a little more leeway in dealing with zoning and building violations. Proffer enforcement has become a hot spot as of late. Citizens that are near shopping malls and other developments that have proffers are protected by those proffers. The challenge is that there is a natural tension between the commercial interests of the land owners and nearby residents. We (the city) want to help backstop those proffers for the citizens and ensure that bad things don’t happen. We also want our commercial interests to thrive. After all, in modern NoVa, your community is identified by two things: your schools and your retail. A thriving commercial sector helps both.
In order to update the public on what we are doing and what changes have been made to our enforcement processes, the Land Use committee has asked the staff to present an update on our enforcement at a Council meeting. This will take place on the 21st. I’ll post more info on the time, etc, as I get it. I encourage people to watch and/or attend.
June 9, 2010 at 10:28 pm
Count me in on this one…enforcement is one of my several pet peeves when it comes to what I consider a simple thing having too long of a process. I haven’t gotten around to reading the new stuff (especially on derelic buildings) yet.
As I understand it, some things which are so simple – like tall grass – have a process where a letter goes out, you have have 30 days to resolve before further action is taken. Unregistered, unlicensed vehicles can be in driveways if covered, and if not, still, a letter goes out….you see the picture?
Simple things ought to be quick action like we do with Utilities. Don’t pay your outstanding balance by the date in the red box? A gentleman pulls up and turns off your water as the warning to get down and pay at least the previous balance or make arrangements – then you get your water back on.
Tall grass? Here’s the notice and you have five working days or the next notice is in the form of a summons to the magistrate.
Andy, I hope your following my drift – please do look at code enforcement process and for what could be considered immediate/quick turn around fixes, simply the process.
June 10, 2010 at 7:26 am
Ray:
It is getting looked at. Liz and her crew have revised many of the processes that had evolved into crazy tangles over the years so that they work better.
The police, for instance, used to do tall grass enforcement, kick it back over the fence to city hall and on and on…
The other part of the problem is that parts of the process are regulated by the state and the GA. The legislative balance of power there is even at best and probably favors more rural areas. Legislators from those areas don’t see the need to reform some of these deals and it isn’t a sexy campaign issue like the recent tax charade for our guys so not much happens.
However, there was some progress recently when several of the larger cities banded together to get the spot blight abatement code changed. It’s a change in our favor, it’s common sense and it should have happened years ago…
June 11, 2010 at 8:31 am
Family size has nothing to do with it. A hundred years ago, there were plenty of large families living in the area. The problem is illegals who have moved into the City.
As long as we have a high percentage of students who are illegal, and costing more to educate(esl classes) we are not going to have good schools, and the City is not going to attract the right kind of people to move into the City. And, that of course leads to not being able to attract good retail stores.
Get rid of illegals, and we’ll have a much nicer City.
Of course, that’s easier said then done, and not something the City can do on it’s own, but it’s reality and therefore goes a long ways in explaining the lower quality of living here in the City.
June 15, 2010 at 12:32 pm
Andy, regarding our MCPD, they do a great job afterhours (as it should be). When Zoning isn’t working, they do a bang-up job of coming out to enforce…as with the recent case on my street of a house having its waterline break, and the guys had a backhoe and digging away. Since this was at 6pm, called Operations over at Public Works, and they sent a cop out – next day, the permit was there. Operations told me they had not even gotten a call to come out and shut off the water and allow an emergency repair.
I found a copy of the draft ordinance in the January 28th Econ/Comm Devl & LU meeting agenda and read it through once. Haven’t gotten back to a line-by-line, but I like paragraph C8 where it mentions removal of exterior siding, roofing, or sheating exposing structural members to the weather is evidence of substantial dilapidation.
I have a neighbor that three years ago started improvements on his house, and has added and subtracted, gone over permit time, and is having a running battle with zoning. He has two sections where he removed the siding – one along the edge of the garage and one along the second story of his split level. Wrap is there, but in a high wind, we get insulation blown around. For the longest time, he did not have that house wrap on it, so boards were exposed. Of course, both of those outer walls that were exposed have behind the wall board the beams supporting the roof.
Nice to see, at least in my quick read, there may be a way to finally correct issues like this.
COM is sorta kinda right – in the last several years, with the influx of Hispanics who (most likely) mainly work construction – there has been the sense you can build whatever you want, add any electrical and water, and there are no rules (although with electrical et.al. there are lots of rules already in the Code). At least this ordinance is the step in the right direction for when folks ignore them, there are going to be enforcements.
June 23, 2010 at 8:32 pm
What happened at Mondays meeting, i miised it.