Minutes 04/22/1969 - Laserfiche WebLink

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69-121 - "i S~mit the attached resolution and recommend its adoption. Tais appoints the Southeastern Virginia R~gionai Plarming Commission as agent for the City or Portsmouth to develop a comprenens!ve regional law enforcement plan. This further authorizes t~e Southeastern Virginia Regional Planning Commission to obtain financing on behalf of the ~ity of Portsmouth for tile development of the plan from any State or Federal source available. This does not obligate the C~ty to fund the implementation of th~ said plan until the plan has been fully developed and properly s~Dmitted to the City f6r its approval and final adoption." On motion of Mr, King, the following resolutinn was add, ted, without dissenting vote: "A RESOLUTION APPOINTING THE SObqX.~ASTEFuW VIRGINIA REGIONAL PL/~a~NING COi~P4ISSION AS AGENT OF THE CITY OF PO~TS~IOU~H FOR DEVELOP~4~,~ OF A CO~PREHENSIV~ REGIONAL LiW ENFORC~IENT PLJgN~ !Ii{EREASs there is an urgent need for tlie development of a comprehensive law enforcement plan on a regional basis to complement tn~ State and ~ederal comprehensive law enforcement plans in attempting to reduce spiraling crime rates; and ~E~AS, the Federal Government nas, under ~h~ Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 dete~:qined to aid States, special regions and localities in solving law enforcement problems and has pro- vided that cetain r~unds be set aside for this purpose; and ~REAS, the Yirginia Law Enforcement Administratiwa in implementing ~'~ I of ~l~e the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 has requested the Southeastern Virginia Regional Planning Co~mission to coordinate the development of a Comprehensive Regional Law Enforcement Plan. NOW, %~EP~FORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the City of Portsmouth hereby appoints the Southeastern Virginia Regional Pimnning Commission as its agent to develop a Comprehensive Regional Planning Commission as its agent to d~velop a Comprehensive Regional i~-~nforcement ~!an and assures the Commission that i~s duly appointed representatives to the Regional Advisory Co~,~ittee and Policy Committee on Law and Order will cooperate in every way to develop a sound and functional plan for this region. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Southeastem~ Virginia Regional Planning Commission is authorized to obtain financing on behalf of this potitic~t~isubdivision for the development of the plan from an}, State or Federal source available. This~litical subdivision, however, shall incur no obligation to ~md the imple- mentation of said plan mntil the plan has been fully developed, properly submitted to this jurisdiction for its approval and finally adopted." 69-122 - "I s~Dmit the attached two easement agreements between the Virginia Electric and Power Company ~nd the City of Portsmouth and recommend the proper City Officials be authorized to sign. These easements are for electrical service to the City's new Traffic Signal Shop at Frederick Boulevard." On motion of ~%~r. Holley, the City Hanager was authorized to sign the agreements, without dissenting vote. 69-123 - "I recommend that the proper City Officials be authorized to sign a release receipt with the Federal Government. The City ]las recently widened and improved Alabama Avenue and small portio~ of this improvement was on Federal property at the N~w Gosport Housing Project, By execution of this release, we will receive $550 for these improvements." ~Jotion of ~4r. Eastes to concur in the recommendation of the City ~Ianager was adopted, l~ithout dissenting vote. 69-124 - "At a meeting of the City Council in September, 1968, rf made a report on our new procedures for the enforcement of the Minim~lm Housing Code. The Cnuncii at this time requested that I make a report in six months or during the month of ApriI con- corning the ef~ciency of this new p~ogrmm. On Hatch 25, 1.969, Mr. Joseph Parker of ~4t. Harmon Southside Community League spore to the Council concerning the effects of the Minimum Housing Code in the Mt. Harmon South- side area. The Council at that time requested that i m~e a study into strengthening the Ninimum Housing Code~ possibly enlarging the enforcement body by increasing the n~mber of inspectors; and~ investigate a list of re- sidences in Mt. Hermon which Mr. Parker submitted and which he alleged ~o not meet the Minimum Housing Co~e §tandards. Tee attached six-months report from the Department of Hygiene of Housing for October 1, 1968 through March 31, 1969, shows the number of units inspected, number in violation, number rehabilitated, and number remaining in violation from inspections t~rough the systematic Co~e enforcement, random sample ingpections and complaints investigated. The number of dwelling units remaining in v~plation as shown on this report is not a true picture of the conditions at the present time. Due to an insufficient n~mber of inspectors having to make a maximum number of inspections~ it is apparent that tile inspections made were not as complete as necessary to do this j~o well. ~ne inspectors did not have time to make necessary return visits in order to make certain that work was completed proper~y after having been started on buildings that did not meet~the Minimum Code. Mr. Parker stated in his remarks to Council that some deficiencies in his area were missed at the time of in- spection and that some people obtained building pe~aits to rehabi!i~g~e their property and started this work but never completed it. It is apparent that Mr. ~arker is absolutely right in some few instances in the Mt. Harmon area. Recently, an inspection t6mn headed by the Assistant to the City Manager made inspections of some 50 residences in the ~. Herman area which were alleged to be below Minimum Standards. This team found that approx- imately S0% of the residences on this list do indeed fall below the Code reeuirements. It is felt that some of these residences were never brought up to meet the Minimum Code following t~eir inspection by the systematic Code enforcement team and that some have deteriorated from the Minimum Standards since the time that the original inspection was made. It is felt that in the past the ntn~per of inspections made have been stressed more than the quality. It is my feeling that having the housing inspectors move from area to area provides only temporary enforcement of the Code while they are in that area. ~.ere is insufficient time to provide necessary return visits and in the past there has not been adequate liaison between the various inspector~. It appears that our present method of fo~cement is providing a moving wall of blight in front of the inspection team.