Effective Code Enforcement is... NICE

Code enforcement is one the essential services offered by our city. According to the City of Troy’s website “The Bureau of Code Enforcement administers the city's building construction, permitting and housing inspection programs. Under these programs the Bureau is responsible for the enforcement of all state and local codes as well as the city's zoning ordinance. Typical functions of the Bureau include issuance of building permits, performance of construction and housing inspections, vacant building inspections and issuance of certificates of occupancy and compliance.” In other words code enforcement keeps our city safe, clean, and orderly. As you can imagine it’s a tough task keeping an urban environment with numerous socioeconomically challenged neighborhoods. There are many reasonable influences that cause “code” issues. The list includes reasoning’s such as the current economic condition, a transient population, absentee landlords, and an aging housing stock.

The federal government through, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) facilitate the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program for local municipalities. The program's purpose is the development of viable urban communities for low-and moderate income persons through the provision of the following: 1) Decent housing, 2) A suitable living environment, and 3) Economic opportunity.

The City of Troy receives approximately $2.5 million annually from HUD. These funds are allocated to numerous citywide projects that fall within a target zone. The target zone is determined by the city administration through the development of a 5 Year Action Plan. The target zone must be within HUD’s qualifying census tracts which are determined through the census and based upon income.

One of the programs that is facilitated and paid for utilizing these federal CDBG funds is called the Neighborhood Improvement through Code Enforcement program (NICE). The approach this code enforcement program takes is aimed at achieve results in a timely manner. Over a specific period of time City Code Officers, whose sole responsibility is to conduct this program, will inspect the exterior of every property within the target area. If a violation is found the property owners will be notified instantly.

Once notified of the violation the property owner has 30 days to begin the repair, cleaning, or painting work that is needed for the property to be brought up to code. Property owners who fail to respond to City notices of violation will be ticketed after 30 days, brought to Code Enforcement Court, and be fined appropriately.

There have been 10 target areas from South Troy to Lansingburgh over the past eight years. Last year, our neighborhood group worked with Mayor Tutunjian to secure the NICE program for 2nd Avenue and 5th Avenue in Lansingburgh from 116th Street to Northern Drive. Personally, I believe the effectiveness of the program speaks for itself. Below are the statistics per target area, you can draw your own conclusions, however.

From the data shown below, for the total program history, there have been 3,526 properties inspected. Initially, just 42% of them where in code compliance (1,471 properties). Within the 30 day notification period 1,055 of those 2,055 found in violation started work to be come code compliant. At the end of the day, realizing that the data is still incomplete for the 2010-11 target areas, 72% of the properties inspected within the target areas are code compliant, a 71% increase from the initial compliance properties and this number will grow as the current programs expire. These are great results that will become greater!   

	Beman Park-Hillside	S. Lansingburgh - North Central
Year	2003-04	2005-06
# properties inspected	390	628
# initially comply	138	156
% comply	35%	25%
# respond or began work w/in 30 days	158	115
# court appearance notices sent	93	127
final # in comply	335	524
% final in comply	86%	83%
	5th Ave tgt blocks	South Central
Year	2005-06	2006-08
# properties inspected	44	530
# initially comply	18	291
% comply	41%	55%
# respond or began work w/in 30 days	16	134
# court appearance notices sent	10	45
final # in comply	34	477
% final in comply	77%	90%
	S. Troy Osgood	Burgh 2nd & 5th (104th -116th St.)
Year	2008-09	2008-09
# properties inspected	249	317
# initially comply	128	171
% comply	51%	54%
# respond or began work w/in 30 days	76	88
# court appearance notices sent	34	51
final # in comply	205	259
% final in comply	82%	82%
	S. Troy	North Central
Year	2009-10	2009-10
# properties inspected	511	334
# initially comply	193	156
% comply	38%	47%
# respond or began work w/in 30 days	132	107
# court appearance notices sent	113	90
final # in comply	433	263
% final in comply	85%	79%
	S. Troy Hillside	Burgh 2nd & 5th (116th St.-Northern)
Year	2010-11	2010-11
# properties inspected	261	262
# initially comply	97	123
% comply	37%	47%
# respond or began work w/in 30 days	131	98
# court appearance notices sent	33	27
final # in comply	TBD	TBD
% final in comply	TBD	TBD

Police and Schools

Many thoughts and opinions circulate around this topic. When anyone questions or poses change to the “school districts” it normally sparks a fair amount of debate and rightfully so. If there is any one single item in society people hold dear to them, it’s the education and safety of their children. Everyone wants what’s best for their children; my parents did and so did yours. The recent announcement of the Troy Police Department reducing the presence of the School Resource Officers (SRO) at the schools sparked such debate. My wife and I do not have any children and I cannot speak from that perspective, but I can speak as a person who has been involved in the community, served as a member of several school/community forums, and as a graduate of the Troy School District.

When I first learned of the SRO program a number of years ago I could not believe what I was hearing. Really, you need cops to patrol Troy schools? I wondered what happened from when I graduated, which wasn’t that long ago, to now, that requires the presence of uniformed, armed, police officers. I was stunned. But as I learned more, took stock of the changing social climate in the city, and became more involved, it began to make sense. From then on I became a believer. I personally know a few of the current and previous SRO’s. I hear the examples of how their intervention has positively impacted the at-risk youth and the community as a whole through educating kids and parents, and preventing incidents. I personally support this program.

When I was first learning about SRO’s, I asked how this program was funded and what is the relationship between the school districts and the City? I was told that the City was reimbursed with grant monies for the officer’s time while they are in the schools. However, the grant had an expiration date and over the life of the grant the reimbursement monies decreased until the grant is exhausted, thereby placing the burden of the expense on the City. The grant is now exhausted and has been for a period of time. Three Troy Police Officers work, while school is in session, at Lansingburgh, Doyle, and Troy High. Many people have said to me, “How can anyone put a value on the children’s education and safety, by saying we can’t afford police in our schools?” That’s a valid question, but what about my previous question of, “What is the relationship between the school districts and the City?” What happened to the school security service and the “no nonsense” administration policies that were in place when I was in school? We pay more in school taxes every year than we pay in city and county taxes. What does or should this afford us? There are administrators in our schools that earn a great deal more than our mayor and for the most part we have no say in who governs our schools. Yes, there is an elected school board of education, but honestly what level of influence do they hold? Isn’t it fair to say that our schools are not performing at a desirable level? Doesn’t anyone see an issue with both schools districts rushing bond votes through worth tens of millions of dollars and the majority of these projects, at each school, revolve around renovation of the athletic fields, converting them to artificial turf? What happened to priorities? What happened to public accountability? If the education and safety of our city’s youth is top priority, I believe it is incumbent upon the school districts to get their house in order.

This isn’t a political issue, currently all sides are calling for reform, and Governor Cuomo is calling people to task. Just like any business you can’t fix the problem just by throwing money at it, which has been the practice far too long. We created a governmental agency, the NYS Lottery, to assist in the subsidization of the public school system. All that was created was a beast of a public entity and all that has been achieved is furthering people’s gambling addictions.

It would be a shame if these officers were removed from the schools. It would be a shame if the school districts didn’t take the bull by the horns and say, “How can we make this happen, together?” Rather than play the victim. People should be tired of school districts playing the victim, tugging at the strings of the public’s heart; all while rising our taxes by three or more percent a year on a regular basis, constantly underperforming. It’s time for them to step up to the plate, clean up their act, and act accordingly. The school administrators should be held to the same standard we hold our elected officials on the city council, our mayor, and administrators such as our police chief. Work together and resolve this issue.

Absentee Landlord and Vacant Building Management

If there is one thing this wicked winter has thought us it is the importance of our city’s Absentee Landlord registration and our Vacant Building registry. As the inches upon inches of snow have continued to fall coupled with the occasional rain/ice storm many neighbors have been asking, “Who is going to clean that sidewalk?” Often referring to a building that sits vacant or one owned by a known out-of-town owner. A well facilitated registry program is the answer to the question. The data that is required to be submitted by the property owner to the city allows city officials quick access to all pertinent contact information to seek a timely remedy to an issue that may arise.

In 2008, the city adopted a Landlord Registry. This program requires all property owners who live 20 miles or more outside the city limits to register their property with the city. The property owner is required to provide all pertinent contact information for themselves and for their required property manager. The process to register is simple. Either in person or via mail the owner has to complete an application which can be found on the city’s website or at city hall. Ninety days after taking ownership of the property this application needs to be completed and on file with the city. (Note: all properties owned by out-of-town landlords must have been registered within 90 of the passing of the registry in 2008.) The application fee of $150 will be waived if the property owner registers within these 90 days. If the owner does not register, the $150 fee is required plus an additional $75 fee for each 60 day period until the property is registered. Any fees that remain unpaid during a calendar year will be added to the tax levy of the affected property. Should a property remain unregistered the city can being action against the property owner and should they be found in violation, the owner will be subject of a fine up to $500. This registry provides the city with effective means of contacting and seeking remedy to any issue that may occur at a non-owner occupied property. In the past tracking down an owner or the owner’s representative presented city officials with challenges, especially with those who reside well out of the area. Owners are required to register their property every three years.

The city’s vacant building registry has been in place for a number of years now, but recently it has been updated. To be considered vacant a building must: A. be unoccupied and not secured or not boarded in compliance with the standards set forth in the city code; B. be unoccupied and not maintained in compliance with the standards set forth in the city code; C. be posted as "Unfit for Human Habitation" by the City of Troy Bureau of Code Enforcement; D. be illegally occupied; or E. be unoccupied for a period of time over three months. Vacant buildings can pose a serious health and safety issue to their neighborhoods. If they’re not secured and maintained properly they could be a breeding ground for unsavory activity and if they’re not well maintained they could fall victim to continued vandalism and severe dilapidation. Just as the landlord registry, there is a fee schedule. The city’s desire is to have these properties occupied and valuable assets to the community. So, an aggressive fee schedule has been developed to encourage owners to occupy them in a timely manner. The first year registration fee is $250, which along with the registry application and a plan for the property must be submitted to the city within 30 days of the building be declared vacant. Each year thereafter the registration fee increases: 2nd year is $500, 3rd year is $1,000, 4th year is $1,500, 5th year and each succeeding year is $2,000. Note that vacant building fees for buildings of 5,000 square feet or greater shall be doubled.

Why are programs like this important? They compel neglectful property owners to be responsible for their properties. City officials now have the most current information for the property owners and their representatives enabling them to effectively communicate in the event of an emergency or violation. Well maintained and occupied properties improve neighborhoods, increase property values and marketability, and prevent neighborhoods from falling into despair. They help provide all of us with the quality-of-life we desire.

Report on the Issues - Part 2 UPDATED

I’m still receiving a good number of responses to my “What matters post,” and the “Report on the issues” post. So much response that a part 2 of a, “report on the issues” is warranted. Again, keep the questions and comments coming for future posts.


Weekly Household Garbage Collection
Our neighborhood group fields a number of complaints regarding weekly garbage pickup. The primary complaints revolve around when individuals put their garbage out and about individuals not utilizing a secure receptacle (covered garbage can). Some people may think either one of this issues are not a big deal. Well tell your neighbor that when the wildlife (skunks, raccoons, squirrels, dogs, cats, birds, and rats) tear the bags apart in search of a meal. City ordienance states that household garbage should be placed out to the curb or in the alley after 7:00pm the night before your pick up day, or before 6:00am the day of your pick up and that garbage is to be placed in water tight wooden, plastic or metal covered containers or heavy duty plastic bags tied at the top or specially treated paper bags.

For more information or if you are unsure of your scheduled garbage day or if you have any questions concerning pick-ups, please call DPW 270-4579.

For more detail on what and what isn't considered "household" garbage click here.

For the detailed City Ordinance click here.


Parks
Troy’s parks are a major asset to our community. We are lucky to have a diversified abundance of parks city wide, each offering a different atmosphere, opportunity, and experience. A health parks program will be vital to the continued revitalization of our city, offering individuals and families with a verity of options and venues. In the past I have written about our city parks and the continued investment by the City with Park and Rec’s Department. Making and keeping our parks accessible, clean, and current should be a priority. Recently, I submitted a grant application to CDTA on behalf of the North Lansingburgh Neighborhood Watch for bike racks for the Knickerbacker Ice Rink and Knickerbacker Pool. If chosen these two sites will receive new bike racks for the children and their families to safely store their bikes as they enjoy the countless opportunities Knickerbacker Park has to offer. Additionally, in the near future, our neighborhood group will be a part of an exciting announcement concerning a pocket park in our community.

I have blogged about of parks program in the past, Troy's Wonderful Parks, and to learn more about the city’s parks and their locations click here.


Home Incentives and Economic Development
One way to assist residents in the continuing effort of removing blight and assisting to stabilize the community is through municipal incentive programs. These programs are geared to improve the appearance of both residential and commercial properties and entice people to settle in Troy. Think of this as the city investing in itself by utilizing grant dollars from the state and federal governments along with other sources. These incentives help current residents maintain and update their properties, as well as, help to draw individuals into the city. There are different qualifications for each program, some are income based, and some are not. These are programs that everyone should know about and take full advantage of because they will not only benefit the individual, they will benefit the community as a whole.

To learn more about the city’s Housing and Home Assistance programs click here.

To learn more about the city’s Economic Development Programs and Incentives click here.


Snow Removal
This is a red hot issue at the moment. I debated whether or not to comment on this one because it’s hard to specifically point to the issue, but I thought I’d give it a try. No one can deny that this winter we have experienced a substantial amount of snowfall, of which the majority fell over short period of time. Since Christmas we have had in the neighborhood of over 45” of snow, just storm after storm. Our city DPW and DPU workers are doing their best with what resources they have to keep up with the demand, but with so much to do, snow continues to accumulate. What some people don’t realize is that Lansingburgh is plowed by the Department of Public Utilities and the remaining areas of the city are treated by the Department of Public Works. This examples just how much of a strain a simple service as plowing places on our city workforce. When you have had several significant storms in a row, as we have this year, it adds additional strain on the manpower and equipment. I believe what we are experiencing with snow plowing/removal recently is caused by a couple things. One is, simply, the amount of snow that keeps falling. The city seemingly appears to be focused on keeping up with ensuring city streets are passable. You need to manage the storm and its outcome first. Snow removal isn’t happening as quickly as people would like, but in reality the machinery is "multitasking" performing several functions. Let me example… the large dump trucks that would be utilized to haul away the snow are being utilized to plow streets or they’re dispatched to other sections of the city for removal. Every pickup truck is out plowing and salting and with a limited amount of city workers, there’s only so many hours they can personally work before a rest break is necessary.

People are quick to point out the response of other municipalities on their own streets. These muni’s, unlike Troy and maybe with the exception of Albany (who is in another class of their own), receive a certain level of assistance from their county’s highway department and from the NYS DOT. In Troy, we don’t have that benefit; the burden rests on the city manpower and equipment. Also, when we take stock in other municipalities roads are we seeing the side streets and the less traveled residential roads or just the main corridors? I agree we could do better; there are always ways to improve processes and procedures. Should Troy work out a better approach for the future? Absolutely, but at this point in time I believe we all need to be patient and do our part. Believe me I’m as frustrated as the next person. This is not an excuse or reasoning from the city, but purely my own perspective. I’m not attempting to defend or minimize. I started this post by saying it’s hard to pin point the reason(s) for our current experiences. My intent is to give you something to think about. I feel just like you when I walk outside and see my block and those that surround it, but they are just a couple of the thousands of blocks citywide. But let’s look at the bright side, the days are growing longer and we’re just days away from pitchers and catchers reporting to baseball’s spring training camps. Even if you’re not a baseball fan, you are excited about this because it signifies warm days are on the horizon.

If you want to report a sloppy street, use the See Click Fix section of the Troy Records website or call the Troy DPW.

2011 State of the City Address

Putting all the political drama of recent times aside, I think you’d have to agree with me that Troy has become a better place to live, work, and invest in over the past 7 years. Each time a mayor and his administration come into office you would expect them to progressively move their municipality forward, it’s their job. Each past Mayor has and each future one will do so as well with differing levels of success. With less than 11 months remaining is his second and final term as Mayor; Harry Tutunjian can look back and honestly say, “I’ve made a difference.” Troy is truly in a better position to capitalize on its future. People may be quick to point out a few setbacks, but after all they are human, like you and I. Many tough decisions had to have been made, many where popular and some not so, but knowing the Mayor as I do I know each decision was made in the best interest of the city and its residents. You may not agree with me and I respect that, everyone is entitled to their own individual opinion.

Tonight Mayor Tutunjian will deliver his 8th and final State of the City address prior to the Regular City Council meeting. Given the significance of this year’s speech, one would assume he will outline the progress Troy has experienced over the last 7 years, while outlining his agenda for the next 11 months and how this will impact the future of the city.

The council meeting begins promptly at 7pm at the Christ Church United Methodist at 35 State Street in Downtown Troy. The Mayor's SOTC will be the first item on the agenda. I’d encourage you to come and listen, after, if you have a question or concern talk to the Mayor yourself following the meeting. Don’t rely on the media and sound bites from politicians to help frame your thoughts and opinions. This is our city and our government, participate in it.

Report on the issues -- a response to what matters most.

I have received a good amount of feedback from a recent blog where I posed the simple question, “What matters most to you in Troy?” Everyone has their own thoughts and opinions on what could be done to better our city and neighborhoods. A lot of the responses I received via email and through Facebook had a lot to do with quality-of-life issues and how to solve them. Most of the issues questioned have some form of law already on the books. I’m not claiming that it’s well written, enforced, or even the solution to the problem, but rather that something does exist. First, I’d like to introduce the issue, provide a little commentary, and secondly, provide the actual law that is in place to deal with the issue for you to learn more. I have left my views of a solution out to keep the response objective.


Curfew
Until recently the city’s curfew ordinance was not strictly enforced. Last year when then Assistant Chief Tedesco became Troy Police Chief, enforcing the curfew was one of his top priorities. Since then several curfew stings have been conducted with great success. Over the past few years our neighborhood group has seen a rise in the amount of nuisance crime and vandalism on properties and vehicles. Under aged school children have been pointed as the culprits of these crimes. In January Chief Tedesco was the speaker at our neighborhood meeting. He stated that the curfew program will continue and will be targeted at areas with the most complaints. If you believe your neighborhood should be considered for Curfew enforcement let your Community Police Officer know.

To better understand the limitations of the Curfew Ordinance click here learn more.


Vacant/ Abandoned Buildings
Vacant/ abandoned buildings are a plague for most post-industrial, urban municipalities. The empty buildings are a sign of the times. A host of reasons including lack of industry and owners to occupy them add to the problem, but primarily it's due to economic conditions that they remain empty and rot. These building are both commercial and residential. As a city you can only hope that if the building becomes vacant or abandoned the current owner secures it, continues to pay their taxes, and registers in on the city’s registry. If these buildings aren’t properly cared for they become major health and safety issues for those within the neighborhood and could negatively impact the value of the neighborhood. We all can debate what we each see as the solution, but in the day-to-day operation of a city we need to rely upon strict code enforcement to react to the issue. The city’s code pointedly defines vacant/ abandoned buildings and how they’re addressed.

Click here to learn more about the definition, fee schedule, securing, etc. You’ll want to read ss.141.18 through ss.141.21


Absentee Landlords
This has been a hot button issue over the last several years. These are individuals with little or no ties to our community owning and renting property without a care of who they rent to and they don't appear too concerned about the condition of their property. A lot of the issue lies in the fact that there is too much available housing in the city and not enough renters. To minimize the damage the property owners rent just to curb the loss they are taking. This results in a lack of care for the property and the community from both the renter and the property owner. Why? Because the owner isn’t making enough money to meet expenses and in turn not reinvesting in the property causing the renter not to care either. You can take this same example and reverse it to read, the renter doesn’t care causing the property owner not to either, but either way I’m generalizing. There are a whole host of issues here. No matter how you dice it the phenomenon of absentee landlords are a tremendous drain on our quality-of-life. But remember, not all are bad, some have great records and employ great property managers.

In 2008 the city adopted an Absentee Landlord Registry, to learn more about what it is and does click here.


Litter
This is another unfortunate reality that we find most prevalent in urban environments. It happens; all we can do is our best to set an example that this behavior won’t be tolerated. It can be found in our Alleys as I have discussed previously and it can be found on our streets. Recently, the Troy Dept. of Public Works instituted a litter enforcement program, for information on this please contact the DPW at 270-4579. If you haven’t read the book Fixing Broken Windows you should. It discusses the broken window theory, which as defined by Wikipedia is “a criminological theory of the normsetting and signaling effects of urban disorder and vandalism on additional crime and anti-social behavior. The theory states that monitoring and maintaining urban environments in a well-ordered condition may prevent further vandalism as well as an escalation into more serious crime.” This concept has been implemented across the country with great success. This was the driving force behind Mayor Giuliani’s take back of the NYC streets. In laymen’s terms, if a particular area is continuously littered with trash, someone needs to ensure to keep it clean and more often than not the area will improve over time and remain in a positive state. Or you can do as I did one day and personally confront the issue, read the blog post here.

As with everything else, the city does have a Litter ordinance, to learn more about it click here.


As I said these were the most common concerns noted. I enjoyed writing this post so if you have any other concerns or comments about the “issues” please send them over. I can be contacted via email at mailto:jgordon003@nycap.rr.com

Buy Local

Much has been made recently in the press regarding the financial troubles that the Troy Pioneer Food Co-Op is experiencing. But what is not being reported is the fact that businesses city-wide are feeling the same pain. This is a tough market to operate a small business in. Business owners are being tasked with making tough decisions and operating lean. The worse case scenario is they are closing a locking their doors. This has become the norm. We have lost and are on the verge of losing several businesses in the city, but why is this? Well, obviously the economy is a large part of the issue, but the second part is we as Troy residents are not diversified. There are many types of shops and restaurants from Lansingburgh to South Troy that offer something unique, but many residents are not “trying something new.” Spreading the wealth around would go a long way in helping these businesses out. It’s understandable that maybe there just isn’t enough money to go around at the moment, but if everyone tried a different local restaurant or bought some of their gifts locally this holiday season rather than venturing across the river it would make a tremendous impact.

Buying local is not a new concept. The biggest contributor to local economic success is by practicing this it. As a community we need to support our businesses, we need them. Their success directly impacts each one of us. One of the largest revenue sources for the county and city is sales tax. We, the residents, have some control in the matter. The more we purchase within our own communities, the more we contribute locally, the more we save. In effect we are re-investing in ourselves. The more we contribute locally the stronger our communities become. Our city has an outstanding selection of restaurants and shops. Take advantage of them. And if you’re looking for something that is not readily available within the city, I’m sure you can find it in Brunswick, East Greenbush, or elsewhere in the county. Again, it’s simple in concept.

When it comes time to make your next purchase or enjoy an evening out strongly consider keeping it “within the neighborhood.” The benefits are far reaching.