THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, February 19, 1995 TAG: 9502170251
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MAC DANIEL, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SUFFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 70 lines
After nearly four months of vigorous work, Suffolk's systematic housing inspections program has stalled temporarily.
After issuing a total of 1,795 violation notices since October, 998, or 56 percent, of the total remain in noncompliance. The reason is fairly simple: Suffolk General District Court is swamped and unable to handle the huge increase in violations cases.
As a result, City Manager Myles E. Standish has temporarily suspended the program until suggestions to streamline the system are enacted.
The Housing Inspections Division will continue to run the rental occupancy program in the city's conservation and rehabilitation districts.
A city task force has come up with several suggestions for streamlining the city's inspections program. And after a work session Wednesday with the City Council, Standish said, ``The inspections program is back on track.''
The city's Bureau of Inspections began systematic inspections Oct. 17, 1994. Beginning in the neighborhood of Orlando, a total of six city inspectors cited property owners for everything from care of premises, inoperative vehicles, minimum housing violations and unsafe structures.
City Attorney C. Edward Roettger Jr. suggested that the city begin issuing civil penalties for housing violations rather than issuing criminal summons.
In addition, Roettger suggested that the city issue ``a reasonable number'' of summons per week to ease the burden on the courts. Roettger said a reasonable number would be between 10 and 20 cases a week.
With 998 cases still to process along with the weekly case limit, some city officials said ridding the system of this backlog could take almost a year.
Roettger also suggested that General District Court be asked to set aside one day a week to deal solely with housing violators.
``The most effective enforcement is city action,'' said Roettger during the work session. But until that happens, ``we're still going to have problems.''
Council members were generally in favor of the changes. Without them, said Councilman Richard Harris, ``the appearance is that we're giving them lip service, and I don't want it to appear that way.''
The task force also recommended that the city begin to study whether pro-active measures should be taken to help Suffolk's clean-up effort.
Some examples include contracting local wrecker services to remove inoperative vehicles and expanding the city's present program of removing trash and cutting grass on neglected properties.
``We have committed to cleaning up this city,'' said Mayor S. Chris Jones, ``And when they allow people to board up houses that should be bulldozed, that hurts the effort.''
In another matter Wednesday night, the council approved making final offers to owners of property needed for construction of the courthouse downtown.
The city holds sale agreements with 9 of 16 owners. Failing negotiation, the next step would be condemnation proceedings.
Construction of the court-house, at Bank and Main streets, is expected to begin in March 1996 and be completed in the summer of 1997.
The complex is viewed as a major element of downtown revitalization. ILLUSTRATION: Staff file photo
Photo shows one of the older streets in Suffolk. Property owners in
the city have been cited for everything from care of premises,
inoperative vehicles, minimum housing violations and unsafe
structures.
"The most effective enforcement is city action," Roettger said, But
until that happens, ``we're still going to have problems.''
by CNB