| Incident Text |
| Type | Date | Comments |
| INITIAL | 09-13-2012 | DEAR MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS, |
| | | ON JULY 8TH I SENT A LETTER TO EACH OF YOUR ATTENTION |
| | | ASKING FOR HELP TO ADDRESS DANGEROUS CONDITIONS IN THE |
| | | NORTHWOOD ESTATES NEIGHBORHOOD. I NEVER RECEIVED A REPLY. |
| | | IN THE LETTER, I REQUESTED THAT YOU PROVIDE LEADERSHIP TO |
| | | CITY STAFF TO BOARD UP AND/OR DEMOLISH VACANT AND ABANDONED |
| | | PROPERTIES THAT ATTRACT CRIMINAL ACTIVITY AND THAT ARE |
| | | KNOWN TO BE "CRACK HOUSES". I ASKED FOR SPECIAL ATTENTION |
| | | IN NORTHWOOD ESTATES, BECAUSE THE CITY HAS ALLOCATED |
| | | MILLIONS OF CDBG AND NSP DOLLARS IN COLEMAN PARK AND |
| | | PLEASANT CITY OVER THE PAST FOUR YEARS, BUT HAS ALLOCATED |
| | | NO NSP FUNDS TO NORTHWOOD IN THE SAME TIME PERIOD. THE |
| | | LETTER ALSO NOTED THAT, ACCORDING TO THE QPR REPORT POSTED |
| | | ON THE CITY WEBSITE, THERE ARE AMPLE UNEXPENDED NSP GRANT |
| | | FUNDS THAT CAN BE USED FOR THIS PURPOSE. |
| | | YESTERDAY, THE HOME THAT I OWN AT 715 53RD ST WAS |
| | | BURGLARIZED FOR THE SECOND TIME IN THREE MONTHS. WHEN THE |
| | | POLICE WERE CALLED TO THE SCENE, THEY RECOVERED SOME OF THE |
| | | STOLEN ITEMS INSIDE THE VACANT HOUSE NEXT DOOR. THE NEXT |
| | | DOOR HOUSE (717 53RD STREET) HAS BEEN ABANDONED FOR OVER |
| | | THREE YEARS AND IS NOW OCCUPIED BY CRIMINAL VAGRANTS AND |
| | | DRUG USERS. I TRIED UNSUCCESSFULLY TO CONTACT THE OWNER FOR |
| | | SOME TIME WHEN THE PROBLEM FIRST BEGAN, BUT THE HOUSE IS |
| | | NOW IN FORECLOSURE. |
| | | I AM BEGGING FOR YOUR HELP TO BOARD UP, CONDEMN AND |
| | | DEMOLISH THIS HOUSE AND OTHER ABANDONED HOMES. THIS CAN BE |
| | | ACCOMPLISHED AT EFFECTIVELY NO COST TO THE CITY. THIS IS |
| | | BECAUSE THE ENTIRE COST OF THE DEMOLITION PLUS |
| | | ADMINISTRATIVE FEES CAN BE LIENED AGAINST THE PROPERTY AS A |
| | | PRIORITY LIEN THAT MUST BE RECOVERED. TO CLARIFY, A |
| | | DEMOLITION LIEN TAKES PRIORITY EVEN AGAINST A FIRST |
| | | MORTGAGE. IF THE HOUSE IS SOLD, THE CITY WILL BE REPAID. |
| | | IF THE HOUSE IS NEVER SOLD, THE CITY WILL EVENTUALLY GAIN |
| | | POSSESSION. IF SO, WHEN THE MARKET IS STRONGER, THE CITY |
| | | MAY WIND UP AS OWNER OF THE VACANT LOTS THAT CAN BE USED |
| | | FOR AN "INFILL" HOUSING PROGRAM. TO DEMOLISH THE OFFENDING |
| | | STRUCTURES WILL IMPROVE NEIGHBORHOOD CONDITIONS, REDUCE |
| | | POLICE CALLS, IMPROVE PUBLIC SAFETY, UTILIZE FEDERAL GRANT |
| | | FUNDS THAT ARE AT RISK OF BEING RECAPTURED, PROVIDE A |
| | | FUTURE REVENUE STREAM WHEN THE DEMOLITION COSTS ARE |
| | | RECOVERED, SUPPORT SOME CONSTRUCTION JOBS AND NEW PERMIT |
| | | ACTIVITY FOR DEVELOPMENT SERVICES AND POTENTAILLY SAVE |
| | | LIVES. THERE IS NO "DOWN SIDE" TO THIS ACTIVITY. |
| | | MY TENANT AT 53RD STREET IS A HARDWORKING, FULLY EMPLOYED |
| | | YOUNG WOMAN. HER MODEST SALARY LIMITS HER HOUSING CHOICE, |
| | | OR I AM CERTAIN SHE WOULD MOVE TO A "SAFER" AREA. WHEN WE |
| | | REPORTED THE CRIME, THE POLICE OFFICER RECOMMENDED THAT I |
| | | INSTALL AN ALARM SYSTEM, AND I PURCHASED AN ADT SYSTEM |
| | | TODAY. HOWEVER, THE UNDERLYING PROBLEM CONTINUES AND MY |
| | | TENANT IS REASONABLY FEARFUL EACH TIME SHE STEPS OUTSIDE |
| | | HER DOOR. THIS ABANDONED HOUSE, AND OTHERS LIKE IT, NEED TO |
| | | BE REMOVED. I AM CONFIDENT THAT YOUR POLICE CHIEF WILLL |
| | | SUPPORT THIS ACTION, AND I ONCE AGAIN FERVENTLY ASK FOR |
| | | YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS ISSUE. |
| | | SINCERELY, |
| | | VICTORIA JOHNSON |
| | | 561-214-3808 |
| | | [email protected] |
| CLOSING | 10-01-2012 | DORRITT SPOKE WITH RESIDENT AND HCD WILL ALSO BE TALKING |
| | | WITH THE RESIDENT. |
| RESPONSE | 09-26-2012 | ISSUE WAS DISCUSSED WITH DORRITT AND SHE WILL BE CALLING |
| | | THE RESIDENT. |
