Thursday - November 3: The Wellsville Council Claims, Rules and Ordinances Committee met Thursday afternoon at Village Hall. Actually it was a joint C R & O meeting along with the Property Committee. Present at the meeting was Chairwoman Rosie Goss, members Joe Soldano and Don Brown. Soldano and Brown are also on the Property Committee. Also present was Mayor Joe Surace, Village Administrator Jim Saracco, Councilman Randy Allmon, Zoning Administrator Rick Williams and Councilwoman-elect Susan Haugh.
First item on the agenda was the Wellsville ordinance pertaining to grass cutting and weed control. According to Chairwoman Goss the ordinance presently calls for having grass cut at least three times per year. It was decided by the Committee to recommend to full Council to amend the ordinance, changing it to read grass can not be no more three inches in height at any time and weeds must be controlled.
Goss next brought up the East Liverpool Rental Inspection Program and turned the floor over to Main St. resident John Cianni. Cianni stated that 80% of the houses look ok and are maintained. It's the other 20% that bring the whole town down. Cianni said first impressions are lasting impressions. Some landlords do take care of their properties and some do not. Some landlords have rental units they would be embarrassed to live in and asked if you would be embarrassed to live in it why would you rent it out for others to live in? Some landlords only take the rental income and never put back anything back into the property for its upkeep. Cianni feels there should be rules.
Cianni obtained a copy of the EL ordinance for their rental property inspection program and turned it over to Goss. The program is funded with a $40 per year fee charged to rental property owners for each rental unit. The program has one clerk and two part-time inspectors that work out of their Zoning Office. The inspectors use a check list of items to be inspected and any infractions are reported back to their Zoning Committee. Each rental unit is inspected at least once every five years unless there is a complaint filed. Cianni said he was told the fee brings in $57,000 a year in EL.
Cianni went on to mention an ordinance EL has for vacant properties to have missing doors and windows boarded up. It requires any openings to be completely covered to deny entrance. Cianni said there are vacant properties in Wellsville that are wide open and after checking found there is no Village ordinance regulating this. He advised this needs to be addressed.
Councilman Soldano commented there is a need to hold people accountable and thinks Goss is on the right track to have Wellsville ordinances updated. Soldano went on to say he has nothing against landlords but there are no rules in place and they make their own rules. Soldano added he doesn't feel landlords should be allowed to rent to undesirables.
After more discussion Chairwoman Goss advised she would get the copy of the EL rental inspection ordinance to the Village Solicitor for his review as the next step in the process.
Zoning Administrator Rick Williams advised the Committee he has been reviewing ordinances pertaining to trailers and they need to be updated also. At best, current ordinances are vague and wide open to different interpretations. That was taken under advisement.
An East Liverpool business man requested a zoning variance on a piece of property he purchased in town that is currently zoned residential. He asked that it be zoned commercial to allow him to open a satellite station to compliment his business in EL. That matter will be referred to the Zoning Board.
Mayor Joe Surace summed up saying "this meeting will be a warning - the warning's out and we're coming after you".
ole nib
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3 comments:
I normally set my mower to cut my grass at 3" in height. This is per Scott and others recommendatons. Cutting high helps prevent grabgrass and other weeds from germinating. also helps reduce the effects pf summer drought. In between cuttings I will obviously be in violation of this ordinance. So be it.
I agree that the ordinances need to be revisited with a view to their effectiveness but they should be revised to encourage good maintenance practices not just to make them easier to enforce.
It's not really confusing and you should be ok if you cut frequently. From the tone of the meeting we're getting the impression that the intent was for those that don't bother to cut at all.
nib
Amen, please do something about people renting to out of town drug dealers. Enough is enough, clean Wellsville up, get on our famous slumlords we have.
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