City Council - Regular Meeting

All right, buddy. Well, don't we get started? Good afternoon, everybody, and welcome to the Sustainability and Environment Subcommittee meeting. The time is now 4.49. I'm calling this meeting into order. We are joined here in chambers by Councilor Jerry Martin. Thank you for joining us, Councilor. We're also joined by our City Attorney, Attorney Ken Sheeran. Thank you, Attorney Sheeran, for joining us. And we're also joined by resident... Thank you for joining us. Thank you for joining us. Remotely, we're joined by Councillor Walsh, Councillor Govan. We also have Court Enforcement, Steve DeSal

Yeah, first and foremost, I want to Thank publicly Keith O'Connor, Michael Jacob, Maurice. I mean, they've been outstanding public servants. You know, recently I've had a particular issue that's raised a lot of concerns on Great Crest Road. They were wicked attentive to it and they went full force. And I do appreciate that work when all things work together, they're on top. But my big gripe as a whole is the repeat offenders, people who are repeated these violent, these ordinance violations and how we can hold them accountable and make sure that we continue to have respect for them. our neighb

Thank you. Yeah, thank you. Councilor Martin. Councilor Cabana, you're part of the committee. You want to say any comments before we get into the full agenda?

Thank you, Councilor Caban. Councilor Walsh, any quick comments before we go into the agenda?

Thank you, Councilor Walsh. That's a good segue, by the way, talking about the fine structure. By the way, the sergeant, I think it's a volunteer, is not able to be here today. He sends secrets, but he's going to continue working with us. He's away right now, but he will come back and actively work with us. Two years ago, we increased... increased the fine structure. I believe that it was $100 back then, I believe. We raised it to $500. Plus, we put a provision that if you're caught using a car, your car could be, if you don't pay that ticket, it could be taken for non-payment of the fine beca

Did you have a question? I don't think you need to repeat it.

Well, Steve, I just finished saying that we increase the fines.

Were you made aware that we increase the fines over two years ago?

Okay. Say that to me one more time, Steve, the last part.

Yeah, so you say that, I missed the last three seconds of your sentence there. You're saying that for electrical and construction, repeat what you said. I don't want to put words in your mouth, please.

But if you have somebody who's building and they're legally dumped, that would fall under our ordinance.

Would you be able to tell me how many illegal dumping fines have you determined issue?

Okay. So, okay. So basically, when you have an illegal dumping situation, what fine do you guys give it?

Yeah, give me a second, Mike. I was asking Steve.

So as far as illegal dumping is concerned, you have somebody who legally dumped. What fine do you issue to them?

Keith, if you don't mind, would you say that the chapter that you guys are Yeah. Okay. He went off for a second. Does everybody hear me and see me okay? Yes. Keith, can you send me the chapter, the ordinance that you are making reference to? Sure. That you're basing that? Sure.

All right. Mike, did you want to say something?

Okay. Thank you, Michael. Before I go on my own question, I believe the council has some questions. Councilor Martin, followed by Councilor Vermont.

I just, I wanted to go back to something Commissioner Desolates had said earlier. I believe you may have answered it, but I was writing, so I might not have cashed it. So I know you said $600,000 of the total amount of tickets was issued. You don't know how much of that $600,000 was actually collected.

I see. So that information of how much was actually collected would come from the collector's office. They don't have any lines of communication with you guys in your department to say if a ticket was actually collected on or not? Would that be helpful to you guys?

Thank you, Commissioner. Thank you, Councilor Martin. Councilor Gabbard?

No, I think Commissioner Desolates and Councilor Govan, you know, raising excellent points about, you know, if they're not paying the tickets, what can we do? And something I had mentioned in the last meeting was this city initiative for Operation Clean Sweep. And I'm glad Attorney Shea is here for me to bounce these things off of because this is when the city brought back in 2009, 70 cases and in 2010, 118 cases before the housing court in Springfield. where they can bring in these habitual offenders, these negligent properties, these ordinance violators in and, you know, get these court orde

Yes, like people who have tickets that have been open for all these times.

Do you know how many cases are brought from the city? I'd have to find that out.

As you were talking, it just made me think, if we are between 280 cases on average on the pipeline in Springfield, what is the one common denominator that attaches all these cases? I know it's dumping slash some sort of housing issue, Are they mainly absentee landlords not doing their job? Are they people in need that they're not able to perform their repairs? What do you see as the common denominator, Steve?

I'm sorry, Councilor Barton. I'm sorry, Councilor Barton, before you go on. No, go ahead. Councilor Walsh, are you done, ma'am?

Okay. Thank you. Castle of Mind followed by Castle of Mind.

So just a quick clarifying question. That fine, is that just for out-of-town plates, or is that for anybody who's dumping, illegal dumping, or is that for ordinance violations, generally speaking, or is that just you're in a car, you're dropping off these tires on the side of the road, and you're moving on? How does that break down?

Does it matter where they're from or where their car is?

How many people are paid? Hmm. Wow. Thank you, Tom. Tom, I believe you guys say that if I remember Director Ash say that one of the last meetings that you guys handle or have about 300 complaints weekly for dumping in the city.

It's all 300 a day. I mean, a week, right?

And, Tom, that goes from tires, refrigerators, mattresses. You name it. Okay. All right. All right. Thank you, Tom.

And I realize that, like I said at the beginning of the meeting, the police department is not here. They're going to be an important component to this. One of the things that I found out during Orlean Street is the communication between departments. In Orlean Street, it really bothered me that, in my understanding, court enforcement did a due diligence to issue fines. The police department did also issue fines. I believe maybe even the health department, I'm not sure. And nobody knew what everybody was doing. So Steve, I ask you, since you're only department head here, what's the communication

So if the police department issues a fine in one location, you'll be able to see it as well?

Yeah, if they've been to a property, yes, but you know this environment or any other department issues if I you be able to see it as well.

OK, and what do you guys wanted? What do you guys do if you see all the files being issued like substantial amounts? What happens? Does anybody pick up their phone and talk to somebody else or do you just put in a ticket? So when we go out, you know, we get the... Can you hear me?

Yeah. In other words, you have a property that has a significant amount of fines, and everyone is fined the heck out of them. At which point, somebody is going to say, we have a problem in our hands. Who calls who? How does that issue ?

Is there any world out there in which we can say this is a health emergency and we can act before then?

I walked the area on that particular neighborhood on Leon Street, and what I was told, at least, Keith, what I was told was that that little corner there just basically became the neighborhood dump. It's just beyond it. It was pretty bad. I know you guys saw it.

I just want to point out the most important thing when our law department is putting something in for court order to clean is getting service.

It's not only you guys, because you guys can't be responsible for the whole city. There's other departments involved. But I still don't see how we're managing communication amongst departments. I mean, if we have, if we know, if somebody knows about a location that is a problem, will everybody on the board know about it? I mean, maybe I'm crazy. I don't know.

No, Steve, I agree with you. Like I said at the beginning of the meeting, I know that you're working through the best with what they have, with the resources they have. Which, by the way, before I forget, Steve, the FLEX squad could really pay a visit to Granada Terrace on Pomona Street. I drove by yesterday. I was not impressed. I would highly suggest you guys go and pay a visit to Granada on Pomona Street. And so... It will seem to me that I'm still not, I hear what you guys are saying, but I'm not, I feel like I'm missing something here with communication. I don't know what it is. I just, w

Let me ask that question for the police department.

You can email Counselor Dabbler, Counselor LaVar Walsh, and we can just forward it and put it on an email chain with the police officer to get a quicker response to that too.

The time is now 541, so we can start wrapping up this meeting. We will have another meeting in about four weeks to continue the discussion, because like I said, it's just the beginning. Again, I'm sure we're doing the best that we can, but something is missing. I'm not exactly sure what it is. Something is obviously missing. We could do... could do better and i think we all want to do better with striving towards that goal um i can't really i just something is missing if it wasn't missing we wouldn't be what we are now getting so many complaints and you could drive you could see it when you dr

Um, again, thank you Mr. chair. I do want to again, thank. All department heads and a lot of partner for being here being so responsive again on an individual basis as I. Raised an issue you guys were very prompt in addressing it, but I just. Yeah, just having that follow through and making sure these repeat violators are stopped because it just. I want people to have respect for our neighborhoods and our cities. I do appreciate all the hard work, but let's work harder and let's get the job done. So thank you again and thank you for your time.

In closing, I just want to say I want to join Councilman White in saying the court enforcement, you guys have, like I said, very prompt. Steve, Keith, Mike, you always be straight with me, straight shooters. Again, I know you're doing the best way you can. I'm looking forward. I'm looking forward. We're going to solve this one way or the other. We're going to solve this. We're going to make the city better, much better. With that being said, guys, thank you. I won't invite you again in the next four weeks or so. And with that being said, thank you, everybody. The meeting is adjourned at 544.