Payne-Phalen District 5 Planning Council

GOOD NEIGHBOR TEAM STATEMENT AT 10-22-03 CITY COUNCIL MEETING

Speech from District Five Good Neighbor Team at Public Hearing

Good Neighbor Statement Regarding Proposed Ordinance Change

We represent organized residents who live in District Five. We are homeowners, tenants, landlords and activists organizing with the District Five Planning Council. We want a safe and healthy community for all people living in District Five.

Many of us have worked for years to improve problem properties, increase safety and health in our neighborhoods, and to assure justice in housing for all. We get tired, we get angry, but we are still here. Why? We are here because we truly care about our neighborhood. We love our neighborhood and our city. We want our children to grow up in safe, healthy neighborhoods where people seek to be good neighbors.

We have a clear and simple message to landlords who do business on the East Side. If you are going to make money in our neighborhood – you are going to help maintain this neighborhood. We are tired of people coming in, buying property and seeking to reap a profit without maintaining property, handling problems when they arise, and resolving complaints quickly and efficiently. Our message is clear; People and institutions who own, perpetuate or create problems in our community cannot expect our support.

We want to put the Enforcement back in Code Enforcement. We are tired of repeated calls downtown that generate no response or a slow response. We know that people and systems become complacent. We will not be complacent about the future of our neighborhood. We are proud of our City, we are proud of our District and neighborhoods. We’d like to see Inspectors take a little more pride in their jobs and do what they are hired to do.

Problem properties significantly impact the overall livability in our city. We feel that there is disparity in how code is enforced across the City of Saint Paul. We want tougher enforcement in District Five. We want results.

Problem properties cost people and our neighborhoods a great deal. Stress levels, health, property values, safety, are all affected when problems go unabated. We feel that the amounts of the fines are trivial – they in no way compensate for the City’s time and our local efforts being expended to stop problem properties. We strongly recommend that the amounts of fines be tripled to send a message to those who profit from our loss.

We support these ordinance changes if this is what is needed to help people do the job they are hired to do. We applaud this effort as a commitment to promote our neighborhoods, but we will be vigilant in seeking results. We will be active and we will be watching the City for improved conditions in our neighborhood. We want follow through – and yet we also recognize that we have to start somewhere. Today’s action by the City Council is a good place to start.