When Jason Molino talks about community engagement, and moving city efforts for neighborhood improvement beyond code enforcement and writing grant proposals, its clear he has at least one supporter on City Council.
Last night, when Molino's agenda item came up on neighborhood improvement, only Ferrando spoke up in terms that gets the gist of what the city manager is trying to push.
"I really believe in the part of the report that says that essentially you can’t force people, you can’t intimidate people, you can’t bang people over the head," Ferrando said. "You might get short-term results, but you won’t get long-term results. You’ve got to change the attitude. It’s got to be a positive kind of reinforcement."
He then talked about his experience as a youth sports coach.
"When you talk to kids and you want to turn failure into success, they’ve got to do it," Ferrando said. "You can’t hit them over the head to be good. They’ve got to want to be good. You’ve got to change that whole culture and attitude."
Ferrando concluded with a remembrance of the South Side he knew as a kid.
"A lot of the South Side was an immigrant population," Ferrando said. "They took pride in their property. Those properties were beautiful. Their gardens were beautiful. Even their backyards were beautiful. They took pride because their properties were special. They didn’t have a whole lot. We’ve got to bring that same kind of pride back to our neighborhoods if we’re going to make a difference."
And that's exactly what Molino has been talking about since he first introduced the concept of community engagement at the Oct. 27 council meeting.
To be sure, Molino isn't talking about just feel-good, community-building measures -- his proposal includes code enforcement and grant applications. But he is certainly looking at Batavia's future with far more depth than just throwing money at problems. And he's quite clear: You and I play a role just as vital as cops, firefighters and code enforcers.
Batavia won't grow and improve without community members taking pride and getting involved, which was the point of Molino sharing with council the Geneva Report.
Molino's report to the council included both grants and code enforcement, but underlying Molino's broader efforts is finding ways to promote community engagement. Last night, he just didn't put it as well as Ferrando.
Molino's eight recommendations:
- Neighborhood Revitalization Plan. The city applies for a $25,000 CDBG grant to study the needs of Batavia's neighborhoods and write a plan similar to Geneva's. This plan would bring in much of the community-engagement aspects of neighborhood improvement that Molino (and Ferrando) have discussed, as well as developing a neighborhood-by-neighborhood plan for grants and/or code enforcement.
- Residential Rehabilitation Program. The CDBG program we wrote about previously.
- Housing Rehabilitation Partnership. Partner with an organization like Habitat for Humanity and rehabilitate forclosed homes.
- Trash Can Local Law. Requiring residents to use trash cans instead of plastic bags, which would cut down on trash in the streets and animal problems.
- Exemptions for Multi-Family Conversions. This would provide tax exemptions for home owners who converted three- and four-apartment units back into single-family (or possibly duplex) residences.
- Code Compliance Outreach. Providing information to residents, both home owners and renters, about proper property maintence, and providing renters a hotline to report problems.
- Neighborhood Revitalization Committee. The committee would assist with the revitalization plan if funded, and assist with recommendations and implementation.
- Continue Code Enforcement Efforts. Self explanatory.
In his report, Molino also shot down many of the recommendations of the Neighborhood Improvement Committee for new codes and new enforcement recommendations.
These included:
- Residential rental occupancy permits
- 36-month renewal for occupancy permits
- Rental property tenant registration
- Agent-of-record registration for rental properties.
Molino's report said these proposals were impractical either because of New York State law, expense (such as additional staffing) or inefficient because they didn't improve on current procedures.
The council took no action Monday on Molino's proposals. Council members such as Bob Bialkowski asked for more time to study the reports.
In other council news:
- On a 4-4 vote (with Councilwoman Rose Mary Christian absent) the council failed to approve the sale of property between Ellicott Street and Lehigh Avenue to the railroad. Councilmembers said that the offer of $1,600 for the parcel -- currently not on the tax roles -- was too low. The parcel is landlocked (no street access) and currently seems to serve no useful purpose.
- It turns out that the city's budget for legal services is running low. Lawsuits -- particularly the one with the mall merchants -- is driving up legal fees. The additional expenditures are likely to reach at least $35,000 before the end of the budget year.
- It was Council President Charlie Mallow's last official meeting. We've ask Charlie to write an "outgoing thoughts" post. We'll see if he comes through for us. He said he's already said enough, but has he really?
Here we have a piece of land
Here we have a piece of land most people didn't eve4n know the City owned. Nobody else can use it or even get to it. The the railroad said they would buy it and we turn them down. That was stupid. The reason was the value was too low, give me a break. What if the railroad says fine, keep it?
Considering the recent and
Considering the recent and historical coverage of arrests in the area it appears that most of the multi-family housing in the older neighborhoods are now being rented to and inhabited by objectionables (jobless, theives, drug dealers etc.). Considering that most of these dwellings are in complete disrepair, wouldn't it be better to just bull doze these neighborhoods and start fresh.
•Trash Can Local Law.
•Trash Can Local Law. Requiring residents to use trash cans instead of plastic bags, which would cut down on trash in the streets and animal problems.
First of all, I don't want a stinking trash can.
Second, will there be trash cops ensuring that lids are secured on these cans so the crap doesn't go flying out all over?
Third, come down my street after the trash is collected. Trash cans are blowing all over the place, and the lids are nowhere near their cans. They're in the middle of the road, they're bouncing off of cars parked in the street, and they always have remnants of trash at the bottom of them that winds up everywhere.
Who thinks up this stuff, and why doesn't the public get wind of it until the politicians think they know all the answers already? Stop the damn micromanaging! Batavia will be a ghost town soon enough.
I am all for tearing down the
I am all for tearing down the rental units that are in horrible shape. The one next to me needed repairs or HUD would not give the tenants money. The people living next to me are not "jobless or drug dealers" just poor and they deserve a place to live that is not dangerous. The drug dealers live in rentals across the street and a few doors down. I plan on buying the lot next to me once the dilapidated building collapses. It is owned by Dick Seibert
"In January 2006, Western Regional Off-Track Betting official Dick Seibert had promised some past due money to the city. He later recanted that vow to pay some $238,000 in past admission fees. The city has been pursuing the money ever since." seems like a hell of a great guy......
This city seems to favor slum lords way to much. I do not know, but are the city council members all "rental" property owners?
The city needs larger recycling cans not little bins. My street is covered with recycling trash every week. The local cats do tear up bags but that is not that big a mess.
I find it totally odd that
I find it totally odd that trash cans aren't already required. My entire life, every place I've ever lived required cans. I'm tempted to believe that Batavia is the only city in the civilized world that doesn't require cans. I still use cans because they're a hell of a lot less hassle than bags.
Every one seems to want the
Every one seems to want the town to be better but no one seems willing to change. Even little ones like garbage cans.
We have a garbage can, we
We have a garbage can, we even use it most of the time. However, on windy days, we don't put it out. It just ends up down the street, and we throw it away the next week.
Howard i agree about the
Howard i agree about the trash cans...Just as long as ARC puts them back were they came from..they always seem to throw the lid in someone else's lawn..What are the poor non profits to do with all their 30 to 40 trash bags every week..Ex.GACSA..Would we have to buy them some..Maybe thats the answer to the trash fairness issue..Give every homeowner one large can with attached lid,like waste management customers have...that would be fair..If you have more trash you pay extra...
As far as that land sale ,Like John said that was dumb not to sell it for 1600..It would be back on the tax rolls..What do they think its worth a ton of money.1000 dollars one way or another isn't worth the time to haggle over..
I'm not willing to change
I'm not willing to change because using cans will NOT work for me. It's literally a house, my driveway, then another house. I do not have a strip of grass alongside my driveway and do not even have room in my driveway to open both car doors at one time. So how do I get a trash can from the back of my house, down a 5 car long driveway and out to the curb (especially through deep snow)? Do I have to move both cars out into the road so I can drag it out? Good luck with finding 2 spaces to park cars here. Should I leave them on my front porch, or drag them through my house and out to the front?
We all have our opinions and base them on our own situation. In my neighborhood, people often put their trash out a full day ahead of pick-up day and don't secure the bags tightly enough. As far as I'm concerned, once their trash starts blowing around, they should be fined for unsecured trash. I put mine out the morning OF pick-up.
Please don't paint everyone with the same brush. Some of us ARE responsible with our garbage. Every time government gets involved and gives us another rule to follow, it's a step backwards. Hold those responsible who aren't following the rules as they're set forth right now.
Its goin to be a long winter.
Its goin to be a long winter. The grouch lives in a trash can.
Trash cans work. Tonawanda
Trash cans work. Tonawanda and Kenmore have municiple supplied cans. Use them or your garbage does not get picked up. The lids are attached and they have no problem with the system. And, it has cut down on the rodent problems they were having.