4th Warder

News and Notes for Residents of South Euclid's Ward 4 from Councilwoman Jane Goodman.

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Location: South Euclid, Ohio

Monday, January 02, 2006

January 2, 2005 - Leaves - Taxes - Point-of-Sale - Stuff

Well, even though I still have one day to go before officially taking office, the phone and emailbox have been jumping with communications from constituents. Thanks to all those who've sent congratulations, and to those who've called with concerns, too. For those of you who want to be heard on any of the subjects mentioned in this blog, please use the "comments" link at the end of this post to send me your thoughts, opinions, or further questions.

I also encourage you, since you're obviously an internet user or you wouldn't be reading this, to go to the city's web page at http://www.cityofsoutheuclid.com where there's a wealth of information, like trash pickup and such. Also, check out the other posts on this blog, where there will be more info on various subjects.

Here are some answers to the most frequently asked questions so far.

EMINENT DOMAIN AND CEDAR CENTER
Is the city taking homes on Colony or Mayflower condo properties by eminent domain for the Cedar Center project?
NO, a thousand times "no." The development will cover only the space now taken by the existing Cedar Center and its back parking lot. Future plans might include the bank/Starbucks building on the corner, and nothing's been decided about the car wash.

LEAF PICKUP
Will the service department continue to pick up leaves?
YES. Ed Gallagher assures me that they'll have the trucks out sucking up leaves whenever they can. Mother nature did us a disservice this fall, letting all the leaves fall late, all at once, and then dumping two feet of snow on them. The vacuums don't work as fast when the leaves are wet, so it might have to wait until they dry out, but they will be picked up when conditions permit.

POINT-OF-SALE INSPECTIONS
At this time, it looks like we'll probably be starting with an exterior-only program, whereby anyone selling a home would apply for a certificate of inspection from the building department. Any violations would be noted, and either the seller would fix them before the sale goes through, or money from the sale (from the buyer or seller) would be put in escrow to cover the repairs. As the repairs are made, the escrow funds would be released.

THIS IS THE SAME EXTERIOR INSPECTION THAT HAPPENS EVERY FEW YEARS ALREADY...IT'S JUST THAT THERE WOULD BE AN ADDITIONAL INSPECTION BEFORE THE HOUSE GETS SOLD.

Why do we need this?
1. To protect the buyer from getting slammed with code violations and surprise costs after the sale is closed. Too many times a home is sold and the buyer isn't aware that there are violations, and at the next regular inspection he has to come up with the money to fix them. This way, the money can be rolled into the sale of the house, so it's there to make the repairs. Independent inspections, which hardly anyone actually gets, are not the same as code inspections, and too often even if repairs need to be made there is no legal way to insure that repairs are done.
2. To protect the seller from getting sued for not disclosing violations to the buyer. This way, everything's out in the open.
3. To protect the neighbors from people who buy a fixer-upper without the money or the intention of actually fixing it up. The house keeps getting worse, then when the regularly scheduled inspection comes around, and the new owner can't make the repairs, things just get worse and worse. This way, the money is set aside for repairs when the sale closes, and the building department can make sure the repairs are made in a timely fashion without having to take the owner to court, which causes delays and could divert money from paying for repairs to paying fines.

The fact is that the way things are now, homes are deteriorating and the cycle of inspection-citation-court-avoidance just isn't working well enough. We need to keep our property values up and attract buyers who really want to fix and keep our housing stock solid and safe. This will make that happen.

The next step, interior safety inspections, will take some time to work out. We don't want to rush into it, and we're well aware that we must tread carefully and respect people's privacy and their rights.

SIDEWALK PLOWING
The law says that each property owner is obliged to keep the sidewalk in front of his or her property clear of snow. If you have a plow service do your driveway, you need to make sure the sidewalk is shoveled. If you have a snowblower, wouldn't it be neighborly to clear not just your own sidewalk but also those nearby? The older neighbors who can't wield a shovel would surely appreciate it, and the walkers will sing your praises.

I will nag the service department about keeping at least the main street sidewalks clear, but the little plow can only do so much. We have to pitch in on our own little corner of the city.

HYDRANT REPAIR AND TREE LAWN DESTRUCTION
To those of you who had hydrants replaced and were left with tree lawns that look like bomb craters, I promise to get someone to take responsibility and get the treelawn fixed. The city says it's the water department's job, and the water department says it's the city's. This has to stop. I'm on the case.

COMING SOON to a neighborhood near you...
We'll be having a Ward 4 conference this spring. We'll be getting the block clubs and block watches working. It's going to be great. I'll let you know when and where.

You'll be getting a newsletter from me soon, with lots of info.

Last but not least, please frequent our local businesses. Have you tried the sumptuous New Orleans-style food at Battiste&Dupree on Warrensville at Grosvenor? They're open for dinner, and they deserve your support.

Happy New Year!
Jane