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JUN 1998

City aims to enforce property cleanups
SUNNYSIDE (6-29-98)---Burned out hulks of former homes, junk cars, heavily weeded lots, and other irritants received council attention at a workshop meeting last night.

The city has the option to write citations and fine folks who refuse to clean up their properties. The city can also clean a private lot, charge the homeowner for it, and put a lein on the property if the owner doesn't pay up, city officials noted.

Items that bugged various councilmen and audience members last night included:

Plastic hanging off the windows of the old Police Dept. building.

A house on Edison that has been up on wheels for six months or more.
 
  • A junk vehicle on 12th Street
  • A burned out home on 9th Street that's been there three years.
  • Weeds in lots all over town.
Councilman Mike Aguirre, who also heads up a subcommittee deciding what to do with the old PD, said his group is getting together soon. City Manager Mark Kunkler said the city might get the Public Works Department to do the work.

Sunnyside resident Larry Hill told the council he has reported an old hulk of a car in front of 507 12th St. twice in the past six months, but that "nothing has been done about it."

Kunkler told Hill that "We'll get you a report on this."

Councilman Chad Werkhoven complimented the Sunnyside PD and Daily Sun News on their graffiti-removal activities and story recently. "The more we do, the better off we'll be," he said.

Werkhoven noted junk-vehicle removal is important to many folks in town. He wanted to identify what resources the city has, and set for future discussion how much the city might budget next year for cleanups and enforcement.

Concerning a house on W. Edison, City Manager Kunkler said the city commenced an abatement hearing 30 days ago. Under abatement, the city does the cleanup, charges the homeowner, and puts a lein on the property until costs are paid. He said a demolition permit has been filed for the house in question.

Errol Brown noted that the owner of a Bee Keeping company has been stacking bee hives on property earlier condemned by the city for widening of E. Lincoln Avenue.

Kunkler said the city could draw a line (on the asphalt), and not allow anything to be stacked on the city's side of the line.

Councilman Mike Farmer said, "What can we do? We've got burned out homes and weed filled lots. There's a danger of fires, and children's safety is at stake. And it's unsightly," Farmer said. He said there's a house on Ninth Street that's been burned out for three years.

"He needs to clean it up or take it down. Three years is plenty of time to get with the insurance company and take care of it," Farmer said.

Police Chief Wallace Anderson spoke to abandoned vehicles, and said a mid year report on the topic is due by the end of this week.

"There's no question, they are a nuisance," Anderson said. He said an estimated 2-300 cars have been identified as abandoned in the city.

But he added that, often times, the vehicle still runs, but has been left in place because it isn't licensed. If the vehicle meets the code requirement, owners are cited. The same goes for homes; owners also are cited if they're breaking city codes.

"We're 20-30 percent ahead of last year on this problem. We work at it continually," Anderson said.

In other matters, the council: