Board Meeting Minutes March 3, 2004

Meeting Opened at 6:45 P.M.

President opened meeting by introducing our guest speakers, Mr. Jim Swett, Senior Housing Code Enforcement Inspector and Russ Seelig, Interim Code Director. Mr. Swett and Mr. Seelig were here to discuss the enforcement in the Housing Department with the current limited staff (down eight people). There are plans to add twelve people within the next year.

If the current staff of full time inspectors cannot handle the workload, the city sub contracts the addressing of some complaints.  The first step in a complaint is contact with the offender, if no response, court action.

Some issues addressed by the code enforcement department are lead paint in homes with children under the age of six; abandoned vehicles, unregistered vehicles, and zoning. The priority complaints addressed for winter are lack of heat and hot water from tenants.

The department takes in about 90 complaints per month with about 150 re-inspects.  
The complaints are confidential unless it is the owner who is requesting an inspection. The Department is responsible for complaints from the sidewalk in for housing issues.

Other important issues are the Blight Ordinance and investigating the unoccupied units.  The mission of the department is city ordinance and zoning enforcement. The department has the authority for receivership.  They have a network of computers that will soon be hooked up with inspectors to input complaints. They are the "Housing Court Police".  The Sixteen Acres representative, or inspector is Juan Martinez.

The Association brought up one of our current concerns, the house on Frank Street.  Mr. Swett and Mr. Seelig will investigate our concerns to see if the oversized garage and business activities at the house as well as across the street are in violation.

Finally, the Association decided that a future newsletter will outline the procedures and phone numbers of the Housing Department to contact for complaints by residents.

Minutes read and accepted

New Business

v Our annual picnic will take place later this year.  It is scheduled for Saturday, September 11th.
v The flag was replaced and dedicated at the Sixteen Acres Library.
v There was a motion to appoint a committee what will take nominations for issuing Good Neighbor Awards to be handed out at a later date. Helen Boyle, Edmund Mack and Judy Flurry will serve.
v Discussion of if we should look into purchasing or asking the former Burger King to donate the building for a meeting place.  (Perhaps there is the possible of a self-imposed tax that Russ Denver spoke about to beautify our own neighborhood to purchase the building?)
v Further discussion on the varying sizes of business signs in the community.
v Big Y will be contacted to query what is to be done with the old supermarket on Wilbraham Road.  It was suggested that another supermarket similar to the one in Forest Park might be beneficial to our community.
v Contact Linda Palrita from the Planning Department to learn about the five-year plan and send card.  

Adjourned at 8:30 P. M.

Respectfully Submitted,
Karen F. Lee