| Cleveland Daily Banner
City mows vacant lot, doesn't plan to make it routine
By David Davis
Managing Editor
6/18/2008
Carl Whaley looked across the street from the front porch of his home on Central Avenue and said, "I've never seen that view before." For the first time in his long life, the Word War II Navy veteran could see Gaut Street. The vacant lot was freshly mowed Thursday and Friday by the city of Cleveland. The weeds and grass were not manicured, but it was better than a Bush Hog.
"There has always been a house there," he said. And that was the case until 2007 when the city demolished the property as a health hazard. Since then, grass and weeds continued to grow to heights will above the legal height.
Whaley complained to the city in May about rodents and nocturnal animals hiding in the high weeds and grass. He said then the city had only replaced one problem with another.
City Codes Enforcement Officer Joel Prince said Monday City Manager Janice Casteel approved mowing the vacant lot by a contractor. The city will soon run legal ads in the Banner asking for contractors interested in mowing lots on a rotating basis.
Community Development Director Greg Thomas said, "We are not getting involved in mowing lots on a regular basis, but we already had some involvement in that property."
He said it cost about $400 to mow the lot.
"The city cannot afford to cut property owner's lots all over town," he said.
One avenue the city can take is through the Vacant Property Review Board.
"We do have a board but have never taken anyone's property," he said. "The review board is authorized under state law. We did create one and that's where it is."
The five members of the board are Mike Sharp, Jeff Morelock, Jaylene Taylor, Harvey Tillery and Duane Gilbert. Meetings are held on an as needed basis.
The Vacant Property Review Board is a mechanism eventually leading to city declaring imminent domain and taking possession of the property.
"The preferable solution is the free market and the transfer of the property from one owner to another," Thomas said. "Sometimes things break down and that's when the city gets involved."
The city's involvement begins when the situation becomes chronic and people in the neighborhood have to look to government for a solution.
"We don't intend on mowing vacant property as a norm," Thomas said. "But we do have to stop the bleeding."
Cleveland Daily Banner
House Razed, Lot continues to be a Hazard
By David Davis
Managing Editor
5/30/2008
The city demolished a house in the fall saying it was a hazard to health and safety.
Now the old home site is overgrown with weeds and is a health hazard.
At one time, the old two-story house had a wide view of a bustling retail district from the head of Central Avenue where it intersected Gaut Street.
The house's structural integrity deteriorated to the point that the city's Codes Enforcement posted it for demolition in 2007.
"The city tore the house down because it was a health hazard, but they just created another one because the lot is overgrown with weeds, all kinds of critters live there," Carl Whaley said Thursday afternoon from his home across the street.
He has seen rats, rabbits and opossums. A cat, maybe a stray, prowled the lot while Whaley talked about the weed-tangled honeysuckle and trees that have become nothing more than trellised vines.
"My granddaughter can't sit on the front porch with me because of all the pollen," he said.
City Codes Enforcement Officer Joel Prince said maintaining the lot was the owner's responsibility.
City code requires the owner or tenant of property to cut the grass when it reaches a height of 12 inches or Codes Enforcement may prosecute.
The city receives authority from Tennessee code to clean overgrown and dirty lots and place a lien on the property for the cost of the work performed.
However, the property owner cannot be located. Mark Pickel was the owner until he sold the lots to Mark Peters. He make two payments then defaulted. Since then, Pickel said he has been paying enough taxes to keep the county from taking possession.
Pickel said Peters purchased the property to establish the Abba House rehabilitation center, but then defaulted. He said Peters has moved several times and every move has been within the city of Cleveland.
"I've been trying to foreclose on Mr. Peters for two years," Pickel said. He moves every time I think I've got him located."
Pickel said he only wants Peters to sign a piece of paper that would take the property out of legal limbo.
"I don't want to sue him," Pickel said."I have prospects who would love to buy the property."
A telephone listing for Mark Peters was for a number that has been disconnected.
City Manager Janice Casteel said, "The city doesn't want to invest more money in the property than it is worth, but at the same time, public safety and health must be balanced against the city's investment in the property."
So far, Pickel said the only liens against the property are some back taxes and the cost of demolishing the structure.
However, that could change if the city is forced to mow the property.
In the meantime, Whaley would like to sit on the front porch with his granddaughter.
Cleveland Daily Banner
Sign ordinance: City hopes awareness will reduce clutter
By David Davis Managing Editor
Published October 25, 2007 12:45 PM
City codes enforcement officers hope educating the public will help curb the proliferation of illegal signs along city streets before they begin enforcing the new sign ordinance passed by the City Council.
Greg Thomas, director of Community Development, said the two officers are responding to individual complaints but have not set a date to conduct a sweep of the city to collect signs. “Portable signs do not require a permit,” Thomas said during a recent interview. “They are an aggravation for people and a nightmare for us. There has been a flood of portable signs — too many for us to deal with.” Thomas is asking the public to help raise awareness of the new ordinance, which is liberal in terms of allowing portable signs on private property. According to the ordinance, no part of any sign shall be located within five feet of any public right-of-way, with certain exceptions. The presumed right-of-way is defined as five feet beyond utility poles. If there are no utility poles, the right-of-way is 10 feet from the edge of the pavement. The rule applies to portable signs, but not to ground signs requiring building permits and engineered plans. Signs cannot impede sidewalk pedestrians or where there is no sidewalk, signs cannot force people out into the street. By the same token, they cannot interfere with visibility of motorists. When a sign is placed at an exit drive where the view of oncoming traffic may be obstructed, the maximum height is 30 inches from the ground. Large display signs cannot be lower than seven feet to the ground. The city is coordinating the policing of utility poles with Cleveland Utilities. Lighting cannot be a distraction to motorists or pedestrians or violate the ordinance or other laws. “There are some signs that were installed while we were in court because our ordinance was ruled unenforceable,” he said. “Under the new ordinance, they would not be in compliance.” “We are working from a positive viewpoint and trying to let people know it is coming,” he said. “When we see signs that are clearly within the right-of-way, we will start dealing with it. We are not going to whack people on the knuckles with a ruler, but we intend to keep the rights-of-way clean.”
ClevelandNewsNow.Net
A Day in the Life:
Inside
Codes Enforcement
Story and Photos by Ruth Gamble, Associate Editor
August 8, 2007
Editor's
Note: Over the past several months, numerous complaints
have come into City Council members with regard to codes
enforcement. Residents have addressed the council about
everything from junk cars to overflowing trash bins. At
a recent city council meeting, there was discussion as to
whether Codes Enforcement Officers should be armed.
Recently,
ClevelandNewsNow.net was granted unprecedented access to
Community Development. So, sit back, relax, and ride along
with our own Ruth Gamble as she spends a day in the life
of Codes Enforcement officers.
It's 7:55 in
the morning when I pull into the parking lot at the Community
Development office. Code Enforcement Officers Joel Prince
and Criss Caywood are already there to greet me.
The
first order of business is to check e-mail for work orders
generated by the City Manager's Administrative Assistant,
Beverly Lindsey. The e-mails detail complaints from citizens
that have come into the City Manager's office, the Mayor's
office, or to any of the council members. The e-mails are
in the form of a work order that provides for details of
the complaint, current status, as well as documentation
of any action taken. If the city has to file suit against
a property owner, this documentation can be invaluable.
Another source of complaint reports are those filed on the
internet by citizens. The newly revamped website provides
for citizens to file a complaint by simply e-mailing it.
A brochure detailing the website and its user-friendly features
should have been included with your Cleveland Utilities
bill last month.
There
is also a link on the site to a kid-friendly website, www.codeskrew.com,
that teaches children how important taking care of their
property is to the neighborhood. This program will be coming
to an elementary school near you. The hope is that the kids
will spread the word to mom and dad and thanks to what they
learn now, they'll grow into more responsible adult citizens.
(See related story.) Next, it's time to clear the answering
machine. Of course, since I am here, Joel laughingly tells
me, "There are no messages. Normally, we come in to
find eight to ten messages waiting for each of us, sometimes
more." Any
complaints filed with the city, be they by telephone or
in writing, electronic or otherwise, can be kept confidential
if the citizen wishes. Sometimes, Codes Enforcement finds
codes violations on their own as they ride through the city.
E-mail
checked and answering machines cleared, it's time to plan
the route for the morning's ride. Joel produces a stack
of file folders that are color-coded. Green files signify,
appropriately enough, complaints about tall grass.
I thought that
was kind of a petty complaint until Joel explained to me
that tall grass can mean much more than simply an eyesore
to the neighborhood. Tall grass can hide a multitude of
sins. Hidden underneath the grass, could be any number of
hazards to anyone walking there such as broken glass, rusting
metal, a hole, or worse. Tall grass also provides a dandy
home for snakes and rats. Wow! He had my attention at broken
glass but snakes and rats - no, thank you.
Back
to the file folders - Red ones mean condemnations. Now,
these are interesting. A condemnation could be an abandoned
home or a home that has burned down. These require some
special attention. I would soon learn more about the red
folders. Blue folders are for "other" sorts of
complaints. This could be something like someone operating
a business out of their home with no business license or
someone hooking up power without a permit. Yellow folders
are a favorite as this folder contains one of the second
most popular complaints in Cleveland, the junk car. Again,
not only are these unregistered vehicles an eyesore, but
they often pose safety concerns to the neighborhood. Junk
cars are a popular play place for unsupervised children.
They can be cut on broken glass or rusty metal or worse,
become trapped while playing in the trunk. Peak months for
complaints are March to October. During this eight month
period, Codes Enforcement received an estimated 3,200 complaint
calls. From November to February, Codes Enforcement averages
around eight complaint calls per day or an average for the
four-month period of 640 complaints. The total for the year:
3,840 complaints, each of which is addressed by the two
officers. Yep, that's what I said, folks, two, count 'em,
two officers.
It's 8:30 and
I walk over to Criss' office to see what he's up to. Criss
handles complaints in the southern part of the city. He
is paid through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG).
Criss has the same work order system that Joel does and
when I come in, he's busy typing in updates on the open
work orders. He documents any action taken on a complaint.
Criss
shows me on the map the area CDBG specifically covers. He
also has a stack of color-coded file folders. At this time
of year, both he and Joel say most of their complaints are
about grass.
Entering the data is very time consuming. Joel and Criss
handle all of their own telephone calls, data entry and
data analysis. They print out their own reports and make
their own copies.
It's 8:47 and
Joel joins us. It's time to leave and because we're heading
into some funky areas, it's decided that the guys will team
up instead of going in separate cars this morning. My ears
prick up.
I've done a few
"ride alongs" with the Cleveland Police and things
can get sticky on a moment's notice. But I didn't expect
this in Codes Enforcement. (In a few weeks, I would report
on a city council meeting where arming these guys was suggested.
After today, it wouldn't surprise me but for now, I ask
what Joel and Criss are worried about.)
As we
pile into the jeep and head out, Joel tells me a story about
going out on a complaint call about junk cars parked in
the street and trash at an apartment complex. "The
situation escalated unexpectedly and quickly," Joel
says as he enters the address of our first stop into the
mobile navigation system. "It
started with a couple of teenage girls mouthing off and
within five minutes, there were 13 or 14 people surrounding
me. The tension was building and the verbal abuse was getting
worse. I could handle that but then things started getting
physical. They were walking by me and just sort of bumping
into me on purpose. I had to call the police out to get
the situation under control," Joel said. All
this over cars with expired tags and some trash? I was stunned.
"Once the situation was under control, I was able to
talk to the people and it turned into a success story. Two
weeks later, the lots were clean and the vehicles were gone,"
Joel said.
"Another
time," Joel told me, "we went into what we thought
was an abandoned house and as we entered the front door,
three junkies ran out the back; fortunately."
I don't get it.
I ask Joel what he means by "fortunately." "Well,
they were running away from us. They could have run toward
us," Joel said.
"Okay.
I get it," I say, as we pull up to our first stop.
It's a burned out house. We get out to inspect. Though the
guys got a complaint call, they don't have a report from
the fire department yet.
Evidently,
another source of work orders for the guys comes from reports
they receive from Cleveland Fire Department following a
fire where the home or apartment becomes uninhabitable.
Clearly, this house qualifies. As we walk through the charred
wreckage of what was someone's living room, we need to be
careful we do nothing to impede any arson investigation.
Criss notices some fireworks lying on the ground near the
porch. He draws them to our attention and leaves them untouched.
The property
owner has thirty days to bring the home back up to code.
Sometimes, repairs take longer and the processing of insurance
claims can go slowly. Joel says they work with the insurance
companies. Sometimes repairs are not in order. Sometimes,
the home is completely condemned and must be demolished.
The tenant of
this particular home, a student, is staying with neighbors
across the street. She has the phone number for the landlord.
She tells the guys a boyfriend fell asleep on the couch
and the fire started with a candle. Criss doesn't mention
the fireworks.
It's 9:05 and
we pull up to our second stop. Joel says Code Enforcement
has been working with the resident, an 80-year-old female.
"It's actually her son's mess," Joel says. The
yard contains an unregistered vehicle and a pile of tires.
Next, we do a
"drive through" to see if there's been any cleanup
on a piece of property where the owner has died. The tenant
will be leaving soon but in the meantime, he's got quite
a mess in the yard. There are piles of tires and junk cars
everywhere. If it's not cleaned up by June 22, further action
will be taken.
The next stop
is investment property. Neighbors complained of junk cars
and get this - neck-high grass. That's right; neck-high
grass. The owner had been ducking the guys for months. Letters
from the city were returned unopened.
Criss was on
vacation in another state when he received a tip on his
cell phone that the owner was at the house. Joel tells me
how Criss drove into town just to catch the owner at home.
I am really impressed with the level of dedication. In fact,
impressed doesn't really cover it. I am floored. To make
a long story short, the junk cars are gone and the grass
has been cut.
A complaint
of a junk car in the neighborhood of Harvest Glen and Mouse
Creek is stricken from the list. The vehicle is out of sight
and thus poses no problem. However, there are at least three
other homes in the area with unregistered vehicles in the
yard and it's become a recurring problem.
Joel says they've
been threatened by renters before. "'You better bring
the police next time,' they tell us."
Sometimes, it's
a "Catch 22." "We try to deal with the people
causing the problems so we don't notify the property owner
if the tenant is cooperating. Otherwise, we do have to contact
the owner. We don't have a choice and sometimes it means
eviction for the tenant," Joel tells me.
Next, we go visit
the home of the "Beverly Hillbillies." They were
dubbed with the nickname by the complainant. The back and
side yards feature stacks of lumber and tires. Joel politely
explains which items do not comply with city code and gives
the homeowner ten days to bring her property into compliance
before he will have to write her a citation.
Our next stop
involves a complaint of a washing machine draining into
a ditch. We meet the property owner at the apartments. She
is clearly unhappy. She laughs and says she knows her ex-husband
called in the complaint. He was supposed to fix this, she
says. Joel explains it was an anonymous complaint and politely
adds that it's his and Criss' job to investigate.
Criss and Joel
can find no evidence of drainage but ask the plumbing inspector
to come take a look. "This could be a matter for the
Stormwater Department," Joel concludes.
Our next stop
is a couple of apartment buildings. Out in front, trash
overflows from bags lying near the mailboxes. Joel and Criss
each take a building while I hang back near the car to snap
a few photos. None of the tenants are home so the guys hang
a small red card on each doorknob.
This is a "Corrective
Action Notice" from the Community Development Department
of the City of Cleveland. It begins, "You are in violation
of the City of Cleveland Municipal Code." Violations
range from "Abandoned Vehicles" to "Zoning
Violations" and of course, "Other."
The bottom of
the card concludes, "Your immediate cooperation is
required to avoid further possible legal action" and
gives Joel or Criss' contact information.
When we return
to the office, the guys will update the work orders on the
apartments to reflect they have left the cards and begin
the ten-day count down to compliance. Our next stop is another
case of garbage on apartment building lots. This time, the
guys speak with the owner and ask him to inform his tenants
of the rules for trash pickup.
"It's
your responsibility," Joel tells the owner. "We
want to work with you." Joel adds that Code Enforcement
is getting two to three complaints a week on the property.
Criss and Joel will follow up in ten days to see if the
problem has been addressed.
Our next stop
is another complaint about high grass. I glance at my watch
as we pull up. It's only 10:30 in the morning. I can't believe
the ground we've covered. From there, it's on to commercial
trash in front of a residence.
The last stop
of the morning is a home with a case file that's been open
since April of 2005. Apparently, the homeowners have passed
away and their children, two brothers, are in disagreement
over the sale of the property.
The home, with
a hanging gutter and obvious roof damage, sports a carport
piled high with junk including a vehicle with an expired
tag. Ironically, one of the brothers is a local attorney.
The guys speak to the brother in residence and explain that
time is running out. The problems must be corrected by June
17. The man doesn't seem to be aware the house has been
put up for sale.
It's 11:10 and
we head back to the building to enter all the data into
the system from our travels. Joel says there's a phone message
for him requesting an interview about Code Enforcement's
newly updated website. It's from William Wright, a reporter
for the Cleveland Daily Banner. The interview is set for
1:00 p.m. We'd better hurry if we want to have time for
lunch.
It's off to Gondolier
for a quick bite and then back to the office to meet Wright.
I say a quick hello to William as Joel explains I'm spending
the day with them. William, a friend of mine, allows me
to snap a few photos as he conducts his interview.
Then, I excuse
myself to see what Criss is up to down the hall. He's dealing
with computer issues. The interview over, Joel returns some
phone calls and then reads over the Banner story Wright
wrote previously about repeat offenders on Ohio Avenue.
I walk in as he thanks a complainant about an abandoned
house and says an officer will be sent out. Joel then begins
entering data from the morning calls to update the work
orders.
Meanwhile, Criss'
computer woes have been solved. He's now typing a letter
as a follow-up to the call we made this morning on the burned
out house. With the computer back up, we're off to begin
the afternoon's calls. Criss and I will go out while Joel
finishes entering data at the office. Joel asks Criss to
bring me back by 3:00 p.m. for a meeting. Criss produces
another stack of folders and off we go. It's 1:40 p.m.
Our first and
second stops are grass complaints and at both homes, the
news is good. The grass has been cut. Case closed. At the
next stop, things are not progressing as well. An abandoned
vehicle with a 1997 tag sits in the driveway filled with
trash. The grass has been cut but it's not going to be enough.
Criss
walks to the door. I watch from the car until I notice the
homeowner waving his arms and stepping forward into Criss'
personal space. Then I exit the vehicle with my camera in
hand. I hope this will discourage the man from losing control
but I haven't thought about what I'll do if he does.
I needn't have
worried. Criss is suggesting the homeowner may want to donate
his vehicle to the Kidney Foundation. The homeowner likes
the idea and by the time we leave, things are on a decidedly
different note.
At the next three
stops, the grass is still uncut, though one vehicle has
been removed. One of the properties is owned by a local
businessman notorious for not caring for his properties.
Criss tells me that Code Enforcement spends a lot of time
on this guy; too much.
At five more
stops, the grass has been cut. One, however, is still not
in compliance. We swing by the fire station to touch base
with reference to the burned out homes we visited that morning.
Then it's back to the office.
Matt Carolson
and Jim Tucker of Habitat for Humanity have come into talk
about collaborating with Code Enforcement and area churches.
Habitat is trying to revitalize neighborhoods and hopes
to build on some of the empty lots left after condemned
property is demolished. Habitat builds about six homes a
year. Recently, Habitat bought a 35 home subdivision. The
majority of Habitat's homes are inside the city limits.
The meeting wraps
up and Joel tells me that while Criss and I were out, a
couple more complaints came in. One is about a possible
business being run out of a home. Another is about an abandoned
house.
It's 3:45 and
Joel and I head back out. Criss is finishing some correspondence;
after which, he'll walk over to the Municipal Building to
get postage.
We pull up in
front of a small home tucked under some trees on a quiet
corner. The front door is hanging open. We walk in cautiously
to find smashed cabinets, torn carpeting, and a few personal
items left behind on the bedroom floor. The attic door is
askew and insulation has fallen onto the closet floor.
Strangely, and
this is what sticks with me all of these weeks later, the
kitchen countertops and floor are strewn with family photos.
The people in the photos are young parents. In fact, some
of the pictures show a newborn infant in its mother's arms
in the hospital.
Who would leave
such treasures behind and why? Who would deliberately damage
a home that held such memories and then abandon it and why?
I am suddenly very uncomfortable and I follow Joel quickly
back to the car. He can only shake his head.
A red
tag is left on the doorknob of property with tall grass,
overflowing trash and two junk vehicles in the yard. Red
tags were left at two homes cited with "Improper Disposal
of Trash." Joel says they are repeat offenders.
The repeat offenders
are the ones who really frustrate Joel and Criss. "Repeat
offenders for environmental issues will be a continuing
problem," Joel says, "until we get legislation
to punish them."
Our final stop
of the day turns out to be one of the most memorable. We
drive up a dirt and gravel road past a few homes on the
left. Off to the right, there's a gulley. Joel says the
property owner is allegedly dumping garbage there and it's
not the first time.
A pretty white
house with a charming front porch and flowering plants hanging
from the eaves sits at the top of a small hill covered with
trees. Joel climbs the stairs and knocks on the front door.
He's just about to give up and return to the car when the
homeowner emerges.
He apologizes
for taking so long to get to the door but he was napping.
Joel has a cordial conversation with the man as I watch
from the car, explaining that if he has to write a citation
the man will need to come to Environmental Court. The man
tells Joel, "The trash was here when I bought this
house." He promises to clean up the ditch. Joel thanks
him for his cooperation and we are on our way.
Fifteen minutes
later and we're back at the office. Joel is clearing the
answering machine for the last time. He finds an urgent
message and returns a call. It seems our "cooperative
homeowner" wasted no time in paying an elderly couple
a visit.
The man reports
having been confronted by the homeowner at our last call.
He was accused of calling in the complaint and threatened.
"I will make your lives a living hell," the homeowner
is alleged to have told the couple. Joel shakes his head
and recommends the couple telephone the police immediately
if they feel threatened.
It's a bit after
five o'clock as I say goodbye to Joel and Criss and thank
them for a memorable experience. I am exhausted. But Joel
and Criss' day is not quite over. Joel will make two more
stops on his way home from work. As I exit the building,
Criss can only wave goodbye. He is busy helping someone
on the phone. As I walk to my car, I am incredulous as I
remember both men telling me that this was a slow day.
Cleveland
Daily Banner
Derelict
house demolished
By David
Davis Managing Editor
Published April 04, 2007 10:35 AM EDT
Demolition
of a house on the corner of First and Gaut streets has been
a two-year process for the Cleveland City Codes Enforcement
Office. It has been a seven-year wait for the people in
the neighborhood. Rebecca Woods, 47, said Tuesday she is
the third generation of her family to occupy two houses
across from the house at 675 First St. N.E. She used to
play tag, hop-scotch and other kid games with the five Bryant
children. “They were some of my best friends,”
she said. “We all played out in the street. The people
who lived there after that were pretty nice people.”Woods
said it was a quiet neighborhood until the house across
the street burned. It would have been seven years in May
since the fire. Over the years, the house became the site
of drug activity and a shelter for homeless people. “We
tried to get somebody to do something about it and nobody
would,” she said. “It was scary because it was
dark over there and there was always someone coming in and
out,” she said. “It’s been a longtime
coming and I’m glad it’s gone.” She hopes
whoever purchases the lot will take care of it and take
pride in the neighborhood. She said it was depressing to
sit on the porch and look at the house with broken windows
and transients going in and out. “We just hope somebody
decent moves in there,” she said. “You don’t
know who they are or what they were doing. You suspected,
but you didn’t know.” City Codes Enforcement
Officer Joel Prince said he has been trying to get something
done about the house since he took the job two years ago.
Instead of an eyesore surrounded by a nice, quiet neighborhood
of people who take care of their property, he sees the demolition
as a success story. The property will be sold to satisfy
a lien placed on it by the city for landfill costs and for
back taxes. “Hopefully, someone will build a nice
home there and improve the neighborhood and attract investment
in the neighborhood,” Prince said. He said demolishing
a structure would take six months if everything went perfectly.
It would take that long to serve notice and work through
the legal system. “That’s if everything went
perfectly,” Prince said. It took time to locate the
property owner, Steven Pauley, who was served in Harrison.
“Demolishing a house is a constant work in progress.
I’m sure people thought the city was not going to
do anything.” A derelict at 312 Meadowbrook is being
torn down today. The “ABBA House” at 330 Gaut
St. is scheduled next.
|
Chattanooga
Times Free Press
Garbage violations could bring sticker shock
Monday, July 30, 2007
By Randall Higgins
Cleveland Bureau
CLEVELAND,
Tenn. -- Some wayward garbage bags may be sporting an additional
red sticker in a few days.The Cleveland City Council recently
approved "Notice of Correction" stickers, similar
to the ones left by Tennessee state troopers on vehicles
abandoned on the roadsides, for city codes enforcement officers
or public works employees to place when they spot garbage
can violations. "It just lets them know someone is
watching," Councilman Richard Banks explained to fellow
council members when he raised the idea. The reddish-orange
stickers arrived at City Hall this week and public works
employee Shane Hayes got one of the first pads. "We
always want to talk to the person first," Mr. Hayes
said. "It's always better to explain things face-to-face."
But if a knock on the door gets no results, they will leave
a sticker. Codes officer Joel Prince said city workers will
be using discretion about the stickers. "We are not
going to leave a notice of correction to the 75-year-old
grandmother who puts her garbage can out a couple of hours
earlier than the code allows," he said. But the city
gets a lot of garbage complaints, and some people are frequent
offenders. Public Works Director Tom Grant said city crews
have even cleaned up some of the private garbage just to
help the neighborhood look better. Like the red "corrective
action notice" doorknob hangers the city has used for
several years, the new stickers will likely get quick action
from residents, said Criss Caywood, also a city codes enforcement
officer. Each sticker carries an identification number,
so it can be tracked through the system. The stickers are
not citations, but could lead to them if problems are not
corrected, officials said. According to the sticker, those
citations could be $50 a day for each violation plus court
costs.
E-mail Randall Higgins at rhiggins@timesfreepress.com
STICKER VIOLATIONS
* Garbage not placed in residential container or bag
* Container or bag not secure
* Container or bag placed too early for collection or left
past 9 p.m. on date of collection
* Container or bag placed at wrong location for collection
* Bulk rubbish/construction waste not allowed in containers
Cleveland
Daily Banner
Repeat offenders make cleaning up garbage hard
By William Wright Banner Staff Writer
Published
June 06, 2007 10:52 AM EDT
The
stench of open garbage causing rat infestation, health hazards
to playing children outside, decreasing property value and
causing an eye sore to the community was a concern at the
last City Council meeting. Cleveland resident Judy Watts
addressed the Cleveland City Council regarding repeat offenders
who clean up their littered garbage when cited only to violate
the law again within days. “I think the code enforcers,
from what I understand, are overwhelmed,” Watts told
the Council. “If you look at these pictures you will
see what typically that looks like on any day of the week.
To my knowledge it has never been cleaned up. “At
first it was just an eye sore but I think it’s become
a health hazard. There are children that live near that
property. That should not be happening. I know the code
enforcer is working on the problem but there is so much
red tape that has to be gone through that it drags on and
on and on.” Watts explained when the garbage is cleaned
up, six months later or less the offense starts all over.
“I can’t help but fault the property owners,
the landlords,” she said. “They are showing
no concern whatsoever for the health and welfare of their
residents.” Cleveland City Mayor Tom Rowland, on observing
a photo of two trash containers at l900 Ohio Ave. said they
were “unacceptable for that many units.” “It’s
a persistent problem and it’s continuous,” Watts
added. “In a very selfish sort of way it affects my
property value. My main concern is the health effect it’s
having. It seems like it should be a very simple problem
to clear up.” The problem of repeat offenders is anything
but simple according to city code enforcement officer Joel
Prince. “Once something gets cleaned up that ends
the case. A new offense starts a new case file. There’s
no such thing as a repeat offender for environmental issues.
I hate that part of it. Maybe they can change legislation,”
he said. Prince said the garbage problem at apartment 1890,
referred to by Watts, has been resolved. Watts original
complaint was on May 14. Violators were given a May 31 deadline
to comply. On May 30 the dumpster was maintained and under
control. “They get in compliance and it’ll last
for several months or a couple of days and then it starts
over,” Prince said. Although the cycle persists, Prince
said, “We have to satisfy the condition of the community
code” and asked frustrated citizens to “bear
with us because it’s going to take some time.”
The problem of sending a certified letter to violators,
which takes up to 10 days, is being addressed by personal
visits and phone calls first, Prince said. The direct approach,
being more personal, is reportedly having better results
and is promoting goodwill between the community and code
enforcement officers who average 15 to 20 such complaints
daily. Councilman
Richard Banks reasoned, “If someone drove by here
and threw out a bunch of Krystal bags, the police officer
can stop him just like that. He has the ability to issue
a citation for violation of a municipal ordinance and tell
him to explain it to the judge.” City
Manager Joe Cate said, “That’s what I say about
the townhouses. Why can’t we just send a code officer
or policeman or whoever we want and take them to court?
Let the judge figure it out.” Joanne
Maskew, executive director for Cleveland/Bradley’s
Keep America Beautiful said, “I don’t understand
why the city is not using environmental court. I was under
the impression both city and county could use it. To my
knowledge the city has never used environmental court.”
“We
typically use chancery court, but it’s true we’ve
never used environmental court,” Prince admitted.
“We can use it on occasion if we see the need to.”
“When
we have repeat offenders they should be taken to court,”
said Maskew. “The city and county face the same problem
with these repeat offenders. This is a work in progress
and we’re working on it daily. “KAB
is getting calls from Mouse Creek, King Den, Ohio Avenue,
Bell Crest Drive— everywhere, it’s not just
local. Joel and Mike are doing an excellent job, but this
is not an overnight quick fix. It’s going to take
time to fix this.”
ClevelandNewsNow.net
Meet The Codes Krew!
Story
and Photo by Ruth Gamble, City Editor
CNNnet
is proud to give our readers a sneak peek at a new and exciting
program! According to City of Cleveland Codes Enforcement
Officer Joel Prince, the program may be the first of its
kind in the nation and as it turns out, there's even a connection
to CNNnet. According to Prince, many adults don't know what
Code Enforcement is all about even though everyone is affected
by it. Code Enforcement Officers, if you didn't know, are
responsible for enforcing city codes designed to "preserve
the environment and beauty" of your neighborhood. For
example, if you've got a neighbor who is using the front
yard for a trash can or who never cuts his grass, you can
get some help from Code Enforcement. But, as Prince points
out, if adults don't know about Code Enforcement, it's a
pretty safe bet that kids don't either. That's about to
change. In
a twist of fate, it turns out that this reporter had a tiny
part in what is about to happen. Prince recalled that while
doing an interview with me last year, we got into a discussion
about how to make Code Enforcement "more exciting."
He reminded me that I had come up with an idea about making
the Code Enforcement officers into personalities that people
would respond to. "That
got me thinking about what we could do to really reach people
and to stop the cycle of unawareness," Prince said.
It occurred to him that a great way to reach a lot of adults
would be through their children and at the same time it
would educate the kids who would be future property owners
themselves. "What
happens when kids come home from school? In most households,
parents ask how their day at school went and maybe even
do a check of their backpacks. If we can reach kids in first
to fifth grade, that is a whole lot of adults we reach as
well," Prince explained. How
to do it was the challenge and thinking back on our conversation
from last year, Prince thought he had a plan. He would draw
upon his previous experience and marketing background to
explore the idea of creating kid friendly characters to
get the message out. Prince's
supervisor, Director of Community Development, Greg Thomas,
was "super supportive," according to Prince. The
City of Cleveland put up $3,500 from the Community Development
budget and then an unexpected surprise. Teresa Torbett,
the Community Development Coordinator, matched the $3,500
with money from the Community Development Block Grant. Still
with only a $7,000 total budget for the project, Prince
had to get creative. After
researching nearly 100 different animation companies, Prince
settled on Curtis Tucker of Shaggy Duck Studios in Oklahoma.
Initially, the idea was for two characters - "Officer
Regs," (based on regulations) and his pal, "Codi"
(from code.) They would form the Codes Krew. Later, "Zoey"
(from zones) was added so girls would have a character to
identify with. "It took just three weeks once Tucker
'caught the vision of what we wanted to do'," said
Prince, "before the characters had 'come to life' in
their final incarnation." Next,
local website designer, Frank Cottone, from Normandy Media
came up with a website, www.codeskrew.com. Now, they needed
a "test subject." Prince called upon his son,
Caden, a second grade student at North Lee Elementary. Caden
loved the characters but thought "it would be really
cool" if you could e-mail them and they would e-mail
you back. Done! There are also interactive games on the
site.Then
Caden wanted to be able to download coloring pages. You
can! You can also download a membership certificate to the
Codes Krew. Then Caden thought he'd like to have a character
for the desktop of his computer. The website now allows
kids to download a desktop picture of their favorite character.
There
is also a new Codes Krew coloring book promoting the site.
The website includes a link to a site geared to adults which
answers frequently asked questions about code enforcement
issues and where adults can read the actual codes. (The
children's site has more kid friendly language.) When all
was said and done, the project which included two websites,
coloring books, and stickers came off without a hitch. In
fact, Prince says they have $1,500 left for future printing
costs. Private donations could mean Codes Krew T-shirts
for the kids. If you’d like to help, contact Officer
Prince at 479-1913. "We believe we are the only city
in the country to be doing something like this," Prince
said proudly. "At least we haven't been able to find
another one." That could change if Prince has his way.
In October, there is a national conference of code enforcement
officers. Prince has been in talks with the program planner
in hopes of being the keynote speaker. Meanwhile, in Cleveland,
Prince and his partner and friend, Codes Enforcement Inspector
Criss Caywood, have already visited the faculty of Yates
Primary School and Blythe Bower Elementary. Prince says
Caywood "is an integral part of the program. I couldn't
do this without his help." There
are no plans for assemblies, according to Prince, but instead
teachers will be able to request that an officer visit their
classroom and give more individual instruction. "That
way," says Prince, "we can actually be part of
the lesson when the teacher is talking about the environment,
for example." Mayor Tom Rowland will help kick off
the introduction of the new site by proclaiming March as
Code Compliance Awareness Month at the February 26 city
council meeting. To top it all off, both the City of Cleveland
and CNNnet will provide links to the website. But there's
more! Thanks
to Bradley Square Mall Marketing Director, Stacia Crye,
beginning Monday, March 12, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.,
Code Enforcement Officers will be in front of K-Mart in
the Bradley Square Mall handing out the new coloring books
to kids and answering questions. The coloring books will
include a free "Junior Code Enforcement Officer"
stick on badge and the kids will be invited to enter a coloring
contest. All
entries can be dropped off in front of K-Mart and must be
submitted by 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 15 to be considered.
Contest winners will be announced at the mall on Friday,
March 16 at 11:00 a.m.Mayor
Tom Rowland will present a bicycle to the boy and girl chosen.
The bicycles were donated by K-Mart General Manager, Tim
Reneau. Mix 104.1 will also be on hand for the festivities
and will broadcast live. A $50. gift certificate from Bradley
Square Mall will also be awarded to some lucky adult.
Cleveland Daily Banner
Codes Krew Helps Decode Regulations
For Ordinary Citizens
By David Davis Managing Editor
Published March 02, 2007 10:52 AM EDT
Officer Regs is neither a super hero nor
a caped crusader but he and his two sidekicks, Codi and
Zoey, are in the forefront in the effort to help clean up
the town. The fictitious city codes awareness team is the
brainchild of a real city codes enforcement officer, Joel
Prince. Curtis Tucker of Shaggy Duck Studios in Enid, Okla.,
developed Officer Regs, Codi and Zoey into visual characters.
“They were line drawings just like you see in the
coloring book and I colored them,” Prince said.
Local Web designer Frank Cottone of Normandy Media Group
created an Internet site where kids can go to play games,
downloads and codes. “We paraphrase the codes and
put them in language kids can understand,” he said.
“I think it will help adults learn the city’s
guidelines about property maintenance.” Prince bounced
most of his ideas off his son, Caden, who is in the second
grade at North Lee Elementary School. “I used him
as my test subject the whole time we were doing this,”
Prince said. “If he liked what I showed him, we pretty
much went with it.” Caden had suggestions of his own.
He wanted to download images for his computer desktop, e-mail
Officer Regs, print out coloring pages and a membership
certificate. There are also video games. Older people will
recognize “Alien Attack” as a version of “Asteroids.”
Prince said the entire project cost $7,000, which he considers
a very good price considering it took about four months
to put together. He also believes Codes Krew will eventually
be able to solve the biggest environmental problem of all
— awareness. The biggest issue he and Codes Enforcement
Officer Criss Caywood face is that many people don’t
understand city codes. “People typically find out
through a certified letter letting them know they are in
violation,” he said.
Prince and Caywood talked about the need for a codes awareness
program. That is the premise of Officer Regs, Codi and Zoey,
three characters that make up the Codes Krew, a special
team chosen by Mayor Tom Rowland and the Cleveland City
Council to help solve some of the city’s toughest
environmental problems. They are assigned to the city’s
Codes Enforcement Office of the Community Development Department.
In addition to the Web site, an eight-page coloring book
featuring the Codes Krew is designed to help children understand
the importance of putting garbage away or cutting grass.
“The coloring book covers situations in kids’
language we see on a regular basis,” Prince said.
“We hope parents start looking through the coloring
book and we can reach both groups.” Mayor Tom Rowland
designated March as Codes Awareness Month in the city of
Cleveland. A special event is scheduled March 12 to 16 at
Bradley Square Mall in front of K-Mart. Prince said one
event is the first annual coloring contest. The contest
is open to all city residents between the ages of five and
10 years of age. One boy and one girl winner of the coloring
contest will receive a bicycle donated by K-mart. Adults
will have the opportunity to win a $50 gift certificate
at the mall. Mayor Rowland will present the winners of the
contests with their prizes on March 16. Lite Mix 104.1 has
partnered with Codes Enforcement officers to broadcast the
mayor’s presentation live on the radio. “We
are not all about enforcement,” Prince said. “We
try to work with people and show them there are guidelines
but there are ways to be in compliance without us always
having to always be on top of you.” The most important
thing a person can do when faced with code violations is
to talk to Prince or Caywood. “As long as we know
they are putting an effort toward trying to comply, we’ll
do whatever we can to work with them,” Prince said.
“If it goes to an extreme where no one is willing
to do anything and we feel like something has to be done,
we will take them to either Environmental Court or Chancery
Court.” The exceptions to granting extensions are
sewage and safety issues. “We don’t give any
leeway,” he said. “If there is ever a safety
or health issue for any of the residents, we’re going
to take care of that immediately.” Another method
of educating the public is to distribute a pamphlet with
the Cleveland Utilities bill in June. There is also an adult
Web site linked to the Codes Krew site.
Cleveland
Daily Banner
Cleveland Codes Enforcement has new
Web site
By
William Wright Banner Staff Writer
Published
June 07, 2007 10:53 AM EDT
Reporting
code violations and following the results have never been
easier thanks to the new Cleveland Codes Enforcement Web
site. The user-friendly Web site not only answers common
questions related to city codes, but also is designed to
answer specific questions from local residents. “It’s
very informational,” said Joel Prince, city code enforcement
officer. “If they visit us to see why can’t
I put my car on blocks, when can I have my yard sale or
what’s the code on grass height, they can click on
and get the facts.” Individuals are invited to look
at this new Web site for answers to related questions. Anyone
can go directly to the city codes and become as informed
as the code officers themselves, Prince said. The City of
Cleveland Codes Enforcement Department encourages everyone
to learn the codes, according to Prince. Even youngsters
are encouraged to become better informed on a Web site designed
for children called CodesKrew.com. “This is an informative
way for us to educate elementary school age kids about codes
and for them to have some awareness about what’s going
on,” Prince said. The success of the new site is well
documented, according to Prince, who updates and maintains
the code enforcement Web site. “We’re averaging
300 new people visiting our site per month and it’s
only been three months,” said Prince. “We’re
up around 150,000 hits already. The facts page is the number
one page people are visiting. Codes education is our second
most popular page.” To increase awareness of city
codes a brochure on Frequently Asked Questions will be mailed
out to local residents with their Cleveland utility bill.
“Two years ago the city had no way of having information
online about this, except for the codes,” Prince said.
“Now we have two different Web sites, one for kids
so young people can start breaking that cycle of unawareness
and one for adults to be able to get information at their
finger tips.” Prince said the department would like
to hear from local residents and are open for suggestions
which can be offered online as well. “We’ve
very happy with this Web site and we feel people are really
going to benefit from having so much information at their
finger tips,” he said. Adults can go online at www.codesenforcementtn.com.
Children can log on to www.codeskrew.com.
ClevelandNewsNow.net
Lucky Kids Get Good News and So Does The
City of Cleveland
by Ruth Gamble, City Editor
Two lucky youngsters received brand new bicycles courtesy
of K-Mart on Friday morning. K-Mart Manager, Tim Reneau,
said he was "glad to participate" in the event
which celebrated the kickoff of the new Codes Krew website.
The website, www.codeskrew.com (See related story.) was
created to educate first through fifth graders on the importance
of keeping their community clean and safe from hazards such
as abandoned vehicles. According to Codes Enforcement Officer,
Joel Prince, it is hoped that by educating the kids they
will carry what they learn on into adulthood and use it
when they become home owners. "The fact that they will
tell Mom and Dad about what they've learned is an added
plus," said Prince. A coloring contest was held this
past week sponsored by the City of Cleveland, K-Mart, and
Bradley Square Mall. Code Enforcement Officers Prince and
Criss Caywood were at the Mall Monday through Thursday from
11 to three to hand out coloring books to the kids and invite
them to participate in the contest. In addition to new bicycles
for the kids who won the coloring contest, Bradley Square
Mall Marketing Director Stacia Crye threw in a $50. gift
certificate for adults. Eight year old Joshua Hill, a student
at Black Fox Elementary, was the male contest winner and
12 year old Christian Huddleston, of Cleveland Middle School,
won the girl's bicycle. The bikes were presented to the
kids by Mayor Tom Rowland. WRCB-TV and Steve Hartline of
Mix 104.1 were on hand for the ceremony. The children were
treated like real celebrities. Mayor Rowland was delighted
to see how the kids had learned from their coloring books
how "trash can build up." Christian said she was
"shocked" when told she'd won the contest and
Josh said he was also "very surprised" when his
"Nana" told him she'd received the call. "Nana,"
a.k.a. Judy Hill, also had some exciting news! Nana won
the $50. gift certificate! What
will Nana do with her $50? "I'm going to buy my other
grandson a bicycle with the money," Hill said. Josh
wanted to make sure his little brother, Cameron, six, got
a green one because "that's his favorite color."
Council
Member At Large George Poe was also on hand and was very
pleased to see how well the contest went. Poe praised Caywood
and Prince and pledged to propose the Codes Enforcement
department get more money in next year's budget. Poe said
it was very difficult for just two officers to cover the
entire city. "I've had as many as eight complaints
in just one week," Poe said. Poe added he'd like to
see some police involvement and suggested perhaps in the
future, a police officer from each team could get some training
in code enforcement. Prince
would love that. "If we could get more help, it would
mean we could focus more on education in addition to enforcement,"
Prince said. For
now, Prince and Caywood are just pleased that so far their
new Codes Krew project is getting such a great response.
Mayor Rowland also had good news for the two. Rowland had
just returned from a trip to Washington where he learned
that the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development
(HUD) is providing the city with $343,402 for the 2007 Community
Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program. According to Joel
Prince, CDBG Director Teresa Torbett was instrumental in
helping fund the Codes Krew project and has been extremely
helpful. Rowland says that the funding money will provide
for at least one additional codes enforcement officer. (See
related story.) Rowland
shared with CNNnet that he had taken his nine year old grandson,
Blake Johnson, along on the Washington trip. "Blake
is a student of all things Lincoln," said Rowland.
"So, I made sure that he was able to visit all of the
historical sites involving Lincoln." It was also Blake's
first plane ride and Rowland said the youngster wasn’t
sure he wanted to sit by the window at first. Rowland told
him if he was afraid, they could trade seats. But before
long, it was clear that Blake wasn’t interested in
trading. “He looked up at me and said, ‘This
is great!,‘” Rowland beamed. All’s
well that ends well as Officer Prince called CNNnet to report
that he and Officer Caywood had seen Mrs. Hill loading two
bicycles into her car, as the two Hill boys, all smiles,
watched. Prince says next year’s contest promises
to be even better as both the Mall and K-Mart have asked
to participate again and as Prince reported, “Both
Stacia and Tim said they’d like it to be even bigger
and better!” Bradley Square Mall has also offered
to sponsor the officers’ planned classroom visits.
Bradley News
On A "Krew"sade To Save
The Environment
by B.
Jay Johnson/Bradley News
You
might say the city of Cleveland is on a "krew"sade
to save the environment. The city recently launched a new
project called The Codes Krew. It's made up of two code
enforcement officers whose job it is to make our city the
cleanest and safest place possible. Joel Prince and Criss
Caywood monitor our neighborhoods to make sure everyone
is complying with the law in regards to building codes for
both homes and businesses. They are also trying to make
sure everyone is disposing of garbage appropriately. In
general, they are ambassadors for the environment. To kick
off the Codes Krew project, city officials held a coloring
contest. Two winners were chosen. Christian Huddleston won
the girls' division. She is a 12-year-old student at Cleveland
Middle School. Eight-year-old Josh Hill won the boys' division.
Josh is a 2nd grader at Black Fox Elementary. Both students
won an amazing prize for their artistic talents. Each received
a brand new bicycle, courtesy of K-Mart. The awards presentation
took place Friday, March 16 at Bradley Square Mall. The
two children said they learned a very valuable lesson by
taking part in the Codes Krew coloring contest. "We
need to keep our environment safe and not trash it,"
said Christian Huddleston. "It's important to keep
our city clean so it won't get messy," said Josh Hill.
Josh said it took him about 25 minutes to complete his coloring
project. Christian said she spent about 15-20 minutes on
her's. Mayor Tom Rowland and City Councilman George Poe
congratulated the two students and chatted with them about
the importance of preserving the environment. "You
know a lot of adults need to be educated on how to take
care of the environment," said Mayor Rowland, "So,
hopefully by educating these children we can teach their
parents about this as well." "Teaching them this
provides them with the opportunity to see how their local
government works," said Councilman Poe, "I think
it will ultimately make them better citizens." The
Codes Krew team has been using a coloring book to educate
elementary school children. The coloring book tells the
story of how the Codes Krew operates. It features several
cartoon characters, including Officer Regs. It's his job
to write up someone when they are in violation of a city
code. Officer Regs gets help keeping the environment clean
from two children - Codi and Zoey. When Codi and Zoey stumble
across something that threatens the environment they notify
Officer Regs. City leaders hope the storyline used in the
coloring book will inspire children to be more proactive
in taking care of their neighborhoods. So far, The Codes
Krew has visited two schools - Blythe-Bower and Yates Primary.
They plan to take their presentation to others schools in
the near future. Councilman Poe says he will push for two
additional code enforcement officers, which would bring
the total to four. He says city police officers will also
be asked to assist The Codes Krew in its efforts to make
Cleveland a cleaner and safer place to call home.
Cleveland
Daily Banner
Three
derelict houses are demolished
By David Davis
Managing Editor
Published May 08, 2007 10:20 AM EDT
The city demolished three derelict houses in East Cleveland
in the month of April. The last house to come down overlooked
Central Avenue from 330 Gaut St. The other two structures
were at 675 First St. N.E. and 312 Meadowbrook Drive. A
fourth house at 360 Short St. N. E. is in the appeals process.
Codes Enforcement Officer Joel Prince said the four houses
were in the Community Development Block Grant area in East
Cleveland. The mission of the CDBG is to improve the living
conditions in neighborhoods through infrastructure construction
projects. Improving conditions includes demolishing old
derelict structures through codes enforcement. Criss
Caywood is the codes enforcement officer in the CBDG area
and Prince works city wide. “The CDBG builds sidewalks
and a lot of people think that is all it does, but they
fund Criss Caywood’s position and that is really a
big deal,” Prince said. “Demolishing these dilapidated
houses is a true sign of the CDBG’s success. Hopefully
we can get Habitat for Humanity or some other investor in
here to revitalize this property and be a better neighbor,”
he said. Having a codes enforcement officer in the CDBG
area allows the city to be more proactive rather than simply
responding to 30 complaints a day. “You spend 15 to
20 minutes getting out of your vehicle and informing someone
of a violation and educating them on codes and what they
need to do,” he said. “It is hard to make those
trips every day.” Locating property owners to serve
notice is sometimes the most difficult part of the legal
process. The house at 675 First St. N.E. was gutted by fire
seven years ago. It took nearly two years to locate the
owner. “The drawback to demolishing a house is that
we will probably start getting grass complaints,”
Prince said. “But even if it just sets here empty
and there is a foot of grass, it will be better than what
it was.”
Bradley
News
Enforcing Codes, Building Relationships
By
Ruth Gamble
April 26, 2006
Joel
Prince wasn't sure what Code Enforcement even was when he
spotted the ad seven months ago. A phone call to good friend,
Lt. Steve Tyson of the Cleveland Police Department, got
him the answer he was looking for. The Code Enforcement
Department of the City of Cleveland is responsible for enforcing
municipal code, both residential and commercial. That means
they make sure that property owners in Cleveland maintain
their property properly whether it is a private residence
or a business. It can not be an eye sore or a safety or
health hazard. The
job would mean dealing with a lot of people on a daily basis.
With a background in public affairs and marketing, Prince
figured this was right up his alley. He would have to learn
the codes but if dealing with people was a big part of the
job, that was fine with Prince. The man loves people. It's
a family thing.
"It
just kind of comes natural to me - the people side of it.
My dad always told me - it's about building relationships."
Prince says. Prince's dad, Michael, was an electrician with
Duncan Electric for 27 years. He was also pastor of an Athens
church he founded and according to Joel, "left a great
legacy." Joel's mother, Linda, is a broker at Remax
Realty. Prince has two sisters, Nicole Dixson and Michelle
Trotter. His brother, Chris, lives in Riceville. Joel Prince
was born and raised in Cleveland. He attended N. Lee Elementary.
"My son had the same first grade teacher I did,"
Prince said with a grin. In the summer preceding Joel's
7th grade school year, the Prince family moved to Athens
and Joel attended a private church school. Joel's dad started
a church in a hotel in Athens. At first, there were four
people including his parents running the church. Joel was
an usher. Michael built the church membership up to 200.
"It was quite an experience as a child to see something
come from nothing like that," said Prince. Joel played
soccer, basketball, and baseball and went to Cleveland State
Community College on a journalism scholarship. While at
CSCC, he was named editor of the Cherokee Signal, the college
newspaper. While attending CSCC, Joel worked at the Catnapper
furniture factory and met his wife, Deanna, who is the assistant
to a financial advisor at First Citizens Bank. In December
of 1997, feeling he needed more stability, Joel joined the
United States Marine Corps. He and Deanna were married in
1998. Prince was stationed in San Diego where he says "it
only rained about three times in four years." The move
was a good experience for the family.
Prince
rose to the rank of Sergeant during his time in the Corps
working on radar systems for F18 planes. He recalls the
morning of September 11, 2001, hearing on the car radio
that a plane had struck the World Trade Center. By the time
he reached the base, there was a two mile stretch of cars
lined up. The guards at the gate had begun searching vehicles.
In 2002, his tour of duty over, Prince moved the family
back to Tennessee to spend time with his ailing father.
He took a job with Grammy Award winning gospel artist, Phil
Driscoll, serving as his Public Relations Coordinator. He
was in charge of advertising, press releases, and event
preparation. Driscoll
was receuse of ministry funds. (Driscoll's trial began April
24. His recently deceased mother in law and his wife were
also charged.) It was then that Driscoll came to him saying
he needed to "downsize" and handed him a check
for a month's severance. According to Prince, he never saw
any evidence of wrong doing during his time with Driscoll
and wishes them the best. "Phil told me if I didn't
get a job after a month to come and see him and he would
continue to support my family. He didn't have to do that.
He had enough to worry about. But that's the kind of guy
he is. He always treated me with respect." The
loss of his job was a life changing experience. He'd been
out of work for a couple of months when he saw the code
enforcement job in the paper. Prince applied for the job
and met with Community Development Director, Greg Thomas
and Assistant City Manager David Jones. Prince recalls,
"they were looking for a people person." They
found him. According to Prince, from City Manager Joe Cate
on down, the city was looking for a different approach.
They want to educate the public and work with local churches
and community organizations like Keep America Beautiful
to be proactive in clean up rather than just issuing a lot
of tickets.
Prince
says it's a friendlier Code Enforcement these days. If you're
in violation of city code, you have thirty business days
to comply. It used to be that you would receive a certified
letter telling you that you'd been cited for a code violation
and threatening legal action if you did not comply. Now,
Joel and his co-worker, Chris Caywood, will personally speak
with the property owners; even giving them specific ways
they can comply quickly. Of Caywood, Prince says, "he
has never heard a negative word about Chris. He has a knack
with people, too. People feel like they know us." Prince
and Caywood will tell the property owner what they need
to do and that they'll stop by in ten days to see that it's
been done. At that time, if they are still non-compliant,
they'll be cited. The new approach seems to be working.
Only one letter has been sent so far this year as opposed
to the two and three thousand letters sent out in past years.
The savings to the city in postage and paper alone is worth
the extra effort. More importantly, Prince says they're
seeing a "great improvement in our neighborhoods."
Sometimes, Caywood and Prince go above and beyond. Prince
tells the story of a gentleman, approximately 60 years of
age. He was not in good health and was hooked up to an oxygen
machine. He was living in horrible conditions with raw sewage
on the floor. Code Enforcement needed to do an emergency
eviction. But
Prince then did something more. He phoned a realtor and
found the gentleman ntly charged with tax evasion and misuse
of ministry funds. (Driscoll's trial began April 24. His
recently deceased mother in law and his wife were also charged.)
It was then that Driscoll came to him saying he needed to
"downsize" and handed him a check for a month's
severance. According to Prince, he never saw any evidence
of wrong-doing during his time with Driscoll and wishes
them the best. "Phil told me if I didn't get a job
after a month to come and see him and he would continue
to support my family. He didn't have to do that. He had
enough to worry about. But that's the kind of guy he is.
He always treated me with respect." The
loss of his job was a life changing experience. He'd been
out of work for a couple of months when he saw the code
enforcement job in the paper. Prince applied for the job
and met with Community Development Director, Greg Thomas
and Assistant City Manager David Jones. Prince recalls "they
were looking for a people person." They found him.
According to Prince, from City Manager Joe Cate on down,
the city was looking for a different approach. They want
to educate the public and work with local churches and community
organizations like Keep America Beautiful to be proactive
in clean up rather than just issuing a lot of tickets.
Prince
says it's a friendlier Code Enforcement these days. If you're
in violation of city code, you have thirty business days
to comply. It used to be that you would receive a certified
letter telling you that you'd been cited for a code violation
and threatening legal action if you did not comply. Now,
Joel and his co-worker, Chris Caywood, will personally speak
with the property owners; even giving them specific ways
they can comply quickly. Of Caywood, Prince says, "he
has never heard a negative word about Chris. He has a knack
with people, too. People feel like they know us." Prince
and Caywood will tell the property owner what they need
to do and that they'll stop by in ten days to see that it's
been done. At that time, if they are still non-compliant,
they'll be cited. The new approach seems to be working.
Only one letter has been sent so far this year as opposed
to the two and three thousand letters sent out in past years.
The savings to the city in postage and paper alone is worth
the extra effort. More importantly, Prince says they're
seeing a "great improvement in our neighborhoods."
Sometimes, Caywood and Prince go above and beyond. Prince
tells the story of a gentleman, approximately 60 years of
age. He was not in good health and was hooked up to an oxygen
machine. He was living in horrible conditions with raw sewage
on the floor. Code Enforcement needed to do an emergency
eviction. But Prince then did something more. He phoned
a realtor and found the gentleman an apartment within five
days. "Regardless of ethnicity or religion, people
are people. They just want respect," says Prince. Prince
and Caywood stop by occasionally to check on the man. He
is a great guy according to Prince, and Joel and Chris are
happy they could make a difference. That was one of the
best days on the job for Prince so far. One of the worst
days on the job happened when a couple filed a complaint
against their landlord. In an effort to show evidence of
the roaches they were complaining about, the couple submitted
photographs of the apartment. The photos included a disturbing
picture of their five year old son which suggested to the
officers that this might be a case of child abuse. They
acted quickly to contact Children's Services. According
to Prince, there are places on the east and south sides
of Cleveland that rival Honduras or a third world country.
"We have an opportunity to help people here."
Prince
supports the missionaries overseas and the fund raising
efforts for the hurricane victims in the southeast but says
"there is lots of work to do right here in our own
community." Prince has learned the codes. The student
has become the teacher educating the public in ways they
can improve their neighborhoods. Caywood and Prince plan
to hold hot dog dinners in communities to pass out code
enforcement flyers. "It's not all about me," says
Prince. "It's the department as a whole giving of their
time. It's all about building relationships. We drive down
Blythe Avenue now and we get waves." Some problems
have easy solutions if people only knew about them. Junked
cars, for example, are a huge problem in the area. The Kidney
Foundation will gladly accept donations of these vehicles
which are tax deductible. Sometimes Caywood and Prince stop
to tell a property owner their place looks good or to thank
a property owner who has made an improvement or taken care
of a violation. Supervisor Greg Thomas, Cleveland's Community
Development Director, says, "A lot of the job is people
skills. Joel is doing a great job building trust in the
community. Sometimes people violate code unwittingly. Sometimes
they just need a hand. Code Enforcement is working with
people to correct the situation, whatever it may be. We'd
rather solve the problem than enforce the codes." Thomas
added, "We're in a different kind of environment than
say, Georgia or Florida. Cleveland is a relationship based
place with lots of community pride." Part of the problem
used to be not having enough staff according to Thomas.
There was only one code enforcement officer for the whole
city. Today, thanks to a Cleveland Development Block Grant
the department has the money to fund an additional man and
take advantage of other new resources as well. The key to
their success, says Prince, "People that live in the
nicest neighborhoods on the north end of town get no different
treatment than those on the east side. This is how we show
people we're out there for them." Joel
and his wife live here in Cleveland and have three children.
Chase is ten and attends North Lee Elementary where he does
some pitching and plays first base. Caden is six and also
attends North Lee where he is also a pitcher. Daughter Samantha
is 15 and attends Walker Valley High School where she is
involved in the Drama Club. Samantha loves to sing and proud
papa, Joel, says, "She is a wonderful singer."
Prince has coached baseball with Bradley County Sports Youth
for six years. He says with candor, "I am unbelievably
competitive." That
same drive translates to the job as Joel reports, "I
have no qualms about trying to do the best I can. I feel
like I'm here for a reason."
If you or your
organization are interested in partnering with Code Enforcement
to help meet the needs of Cleveland citizens who may be
struggling with violation issues or other needs, please
contact the Code Enforcement office at 479-1913.
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