ICON’s Agenda
The following items are being reviewed by the ICON Coalition as part of its political agenda or platform. Specific language found in Springfield ordinances or the ordinances of other Illinois cities of a similar size can be found in the subtopics of the ICON Agenda.
Problem Properties | Garbage | Criminal Activities | Loud Vehicle Noise | Boarded properties
Problem Properties
The Problem
- Problem properties are:
- unsafe and dangerous
- violate nuisance abatement issues
- have an ongoing record of code violations
- are a blight on the neighborhood
- contribute to lower property values
Our Solution
The city needs to establish a registration and periodic inspection program for all rental property to minimize / eliminate the initial problems associated with the houses that become a blight on the neighborhoods. By taking a proactive approach to identifying and requiring structural issues be addressed early, properties should not reach the stage of being unsafe and dangerous unless the owner can’t, or won’t, abide by the requirements to rectify the problem. In such case the city should move with haste to enforce the needed corrections with increasing fines and specific dates for completion. Within one year of uncorrected and ongoing violations the city should initiate foreclosure proceedings on the owners of problem properties.
Garbage Collection
The Problem
- The current program depends upon voluntary registration for garbage service from three different haulers.
- Finding those who do not register and allow garbage to accumulate is a reactive, complaint driven system.
- When finally caught and brought to city court for fly dumping, excessive garbage around their house, or trash in their alley, those with no service simply register with a hauler, bring verification of the registration to the court, and are released.
- Most never pay the hauler when they are finally billed and the process starts all over.
- Neighborhoods are invaded by at least three huge dump trucks each week, playing havoc with the roadways and alley surfaces which puts additional demands upon city workers and the budget.
Our Solution
The city needs to have one hauler for the entire city or specific sections (neighborhoods), with all houses being billed for garbage service along with electricity and water.
Read more about our solution…
Criminal Activities
The Problem
- Properties identified as the site of repeated violations of nuisance abatement issues dealing with drugs, prostitution, guns, and domestic violence, are an eminent danger to the residents in the neighborhood.
- Currently, any time 2 or more reports are written up for these criminal acts the chief of police or his designee is allowed to resolve the problem without any legal action.
- Many times the problems subside only to be repeated within a matter of weeks or months.
Our Solution
These violations are far from being a nuisance such as loud noise, excess trash, and abandoned vehicles. These are violations that can cause bodily harm to whom every might get caught up in these criminal acts. As such they need to be treated with zero tolerance. The current ordinance needs to be changed to bring immediate legal action before a circuit judge if there would be 4 or more reports filed by the police department.
Loud Vehicle Noise
The Problem
- The current system of enforcing violations through city court is extremely slow and ineffective, as reflected in the $2.6 million of uncollected fines and fees.
Our Solution
Any process which can eliminate the current convoluted system and provide punishment for a violation as close to the illegal actual as possible will greatly detour repeated offenses. The impoundment of a vehicle used in a loud noise violation is the perfect example of where the punishment of a state statue can be enforced at the time of the first arrest. In most cases, impounding the vehicle ensures fines will be paid almost immediately to retrieve the vehicle, and the inconvenience of not having the vehicle for even less than 24 hours is enough to deter future violations.
Boarded properties
The Problem
- Property that has accumulated a series of violations or has been placarded as uninhabitable must be boarded and registered with the city.
- The current registration fee is too low, and the time allowed to rectify the problems that have made the property inhabitable are too long.
- Under current policy, boarded properties are allowed to become permanent fixtures within neighborhoods.
Our Solution
Both the fees and the time allowed to correct the problems must be adjusted by increasing fees and decreasing time. Both should encourage an owner of good faith to correct the violations. For owners who can’t or won’t correct the problems the increased fees should put the city in a position to initiate foreclosure on the property. The city’s commitment to acquiring these problem properties to be given to nonprofit entities for revitalization will be an indication of its political will to improve the older neighborhoods.