100 Residents Protest Code Enforcement Inaction

(YOUNGSTOWN) – On Tuesday, August 2, 100 Youngstown residents expressed their frustration with the inaction and ineffectiveness of the city’s Code Enforcement Program in a letter to Building and Grounds Commissioner Sean T. McKinney.

The letter was delivered to both McKinney and new Mayor Chuck Sammarone Tuesday afternoon.  The two-page document cites specific instances where the program has faltered, specifically in the execution of targeted sweeps of the Wick Park neighborhood on the city’s north side.
 
During a recent sweep, 11 properties were cited for violations and property owners were given 30 days to correct those violations.  The 30-day correction period passed with no follow-up by the city. In addition, repeated requests by members of the Wick Park Neighborhood Association (WPNA) to obtain copies of citations issued during the sweep have been ignored.
 
"We're angry about the lack of enforcement and follow-up to the June sweep especially since the city requested that neighborhood residents help facilitate it. This is a basic municipal service,” said Gary Davenport, WPNA president. “We upheld our end of the deal, so why isn't the city following through on theirs? They are cutting our hands off and making it impossible for us to improve our neighborhood.”

Overhauling Youngstown's code enforcement operation was one of four recommendations presented by the Mahoning Valley Organizing Collaborative (MVOC) Vacant Property Committee in March 2011.  Committee members are dissatisfied with the lack of progress on three of the four recommendations, citing that the city's commitment to effective code enforcement is minimal.
 
Residents and committee members are asking that McKinney meet with meet with WPNA and the MVOC Vacant Property Committee within one week.  They have also requested that the 11 citations issued during the sweep be properly enforced with the provision of a timeline by which WPNA and MVOC members can track progress.
 
“Our neighborhoods are very important, and must be preserved,” said Susie Beiersdorfer, co-captain of Crandall Park Neighbors. “The lack of code enforcement undermines ongoing revitalization efforts, including the successful implementation of the city's new redevelopment code.”