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Friday, May 15, 2015

Mayor Calls on Neighborhood Activists to Attend Important Work Session, Monday, May 18, 2015

Publishers Notes: Jim trying to use the citizens to turn on each other to bully the City Council. Let's see if Jim has any friends show up.

Salisbury –
Mayor James Ireton, Jr. today announced that he will forward for Council consideration three initiatives aimed at strengthening the City’s ability to combat blight and preserve neighborhood integrity. The City Council will be presented with the proposals this coming Monday, May 18th, at what the Mayor believes will be the most important Council work session in years for Salisbury neighborhoods.

The Mayor has requested that Council consider an ordinance for amortization of houses which had previously been granted exemption as “4-3” and “4-4” dwellings under the City’s “4 to 2” law; a budget amendment establishing a fund for purchasing derelict properties at tax sale; and a discussion of a proposed Community Development Initiative for combatting blight in Salisbury.

Amortization of Legal Non-Conforming Uses

Aimed at bringing rental owners into compliance with the City’s “4 to 2” law, the bill would establish an amortization period for dwellings which were granted a “4-3” or “4-4” exemption.  Of roughly 400 rentals registered as being occupied by 4 non-related persons, 377 were granted exemptions as “legal non-conforming” properties.  At the end of the amortization period, all legal non-conforming uses would be required to return to either a maximum of two (2) non-related inhabitants, or the intended use of single-family occupancy.

Legal non-conformity allows multiple non-related occupants to live in houses which were not originally designed to accommodate anything more than a single family.  This fundamentally alters the character of neighborhoods by driving down property values, adversely affecting the quality of life for residents, and drawing a disproportionate amount of City resources for code violations and police calls for service.  It is the administration’s position that bringing these properties into compliance with the already-existing “4-2” law is a necessary step in preserving the integrity of neighborhoods which look more and more like dormitories every day.

“This experiment has failed.  It is imperative that we act on these properties now, because every day that we allow them to essentially skirt the spirit of the law is another day of damage done to neighborhoods which have suffered enough already,” said Mayor Ireton.  "The term ‘legal non-conforming use’ is an oxymoron.  Our single-family neighborhoods are at a crossroads—either we do something now or we continue to let them slide, making it even more difficult for families who are already invested to stay put, and for new families to choose to make these neighborhoods their homes.”


Budget Amendment for Buying Vacant and Abandoned Properties at Tax Sale

According to Salisbury’s Vacant Building Registry, there are 187 vacant and/or abandoned houses within City limits.  The effect of these properties on their surrounding communities is demonstrably negative, causing losses in neighborhood property values, increases in crime and vagrancy, and public health concerns.  The proposed budget amendment would set aside $45,000 for a fund which the City would use expressly to purchase vacant and abandoned homes at tax sale.  Starting in FY2016, an additional $500,000 in bonded debt would be earmarked for acquisition, rehabilitation, repurposing, demolition, and legal fees.  Homes bought by the City would be determined to be either eligible for donation to Habitat for Humanity or Salisbury Neighborhood Housing Service, or unfit for rehabilitation and demolished.


Community Development Specialist

A successful Community Development Initiative depends in large part upon the ability to keep all wheels pointed and moving in the same direction.  The proposed addition of a Community Development Specialist ensures the success of these initiatives by creating a position for someone who can identify funding sources, and coordinate with the various agencies involved to shepherd properties through the tax sale process.  Additionally, the Community Development Specialist will establish and maintain good relationships with local non-profits such as SNHS and Habitat for Humanity to execute rehabilitation of procured housing units and or/new construction projects on cleared lots.

“These three proposals are imperative to the future of Salisbury neighborhoods,” said the Mayor.  “They are solutions which present the ability to make immediate progress on issues which have plagued our neighborhoods for years.  I urge concerned citizens, and neighborhood association representatives and activists to attend the work session and let the Council know that we need real, immediate action.”


In Brief:

221: Number of multi-family dwellings granted 4-3 exemptions
156: Number of multi-family dwellings granted 4-4 exemptions
4,889: Police calls for service to 4-3 properties since 2006
2,745: Police calls for service to 4-4 properties since 2006
1,998: Code violations for 4-3 properties since 2010
664: Code violations for 4-4 properties since 2010
187: Number of structures on the Vacant and Abandoned Properties Registry
37: Number of Vacant and Abandoned homes boarded up for longer than 2 years
62: Number of currently condemned structures
167: Registered foreclosed properties
61: Number of houses currently up for tax sale inside City limits

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Since activists don't have 9-5 jobs, there should be a packed house!

Anonymous said...

So...what is going to happen when all of these residents become "artists" and move into Jimbos new river projects building with subsidized rents? What of the homeowners who will go broke? How will this affect the amounts of voters in the city/county? John Hall will soon be replaced by a rabid dem thanks to this jiggering. Here's the problem in a nutshell, Jumbo wants to force the scum out of the city. Where is he going to push them to? Hebron? Tyaskin? Allen? Fruitland? How about the eastern part of the county. What is he going to do? Give the thuggery relocation vouchers?

Anonymous said...

He must be a community organizer like his hero the Illegal Half-breed Muslim from Kenya.

Anonymous said...

IF he wants to combat BLIGHT why doesn't he QUIT being the Pt Mayor.?

Anonymous said...

SAPOA and other rental property owners don't need the exemption any longer since Rinnier and SU has built so many apartments for students. Revoke the non conforming use and be done with it all. Clean the city up and bring it back to the level of pride it once held. As it is now, no one wants to go to or live in city limits. It doesn't matter how many bars or restaurants open, no one wants to be in the city after dark.

Anonymous said...

JOE did your hear salisbury gave the welfare crowd one year to leave there rundown homes that the city now owns across fro the NEW ARTIST BUILDINGS.

Anonymous said...

11:10 he is moving them to oc.

Steve said...

Let me get this straight.

A house is up for tax sale for non payment into the City tax fund, so it goes up for sale to refill the empty hole on the City fund pot.

Got that.

The Gayor wants our permission to pull even more money out of the City tax pot in order to pay it back in to the City tax pot just so he can change the name on the deed to the City of Salisbury, thereby leaving the original hole in the City tax fund, and having the house off the tax rolls, still unoccupied and still part of the blight, and now another financial responsibility for the City Taxpayers.

Get it?

He makes it sound like this will do something, yet it's just an exercise in futility!

What a complete, stupid democrat!

USMCRetired said...

Barrie Tilghman looks like Ronald Reagan compared to Irelton. Irelton ran on ousting Tilghman and after elected the AH Sh*t factor kicked in. He definitely was not what he adverstised. Again fooled by a slick talking liberal with morality and ethics issues. Hopefully Irelton will not run for office again. I hope a "true conservative" steps up and runs for this position. We don't need Jake Day, or any other wannabe's. Enough of the arrogance and self promoting politicians who are inept and clueless. Irelton is an embarassement to the City, and unfortunately he is unaware of the fact he is not liked or respected. Another liberal Democrat operating on their own agenda, and looking out for number one.



Anonymous said...

I bet Jimmy goes to the Fagalicious Drag Queen Show tonight after 3rd Friday!!

Anonymous said...

Is this the crap voters put him in to do?

Anonymous said...

Baltimore just on a smaller more liberal scale. Who cares anymore. I don't nor will I ever spend another cent in Salisbury City or Baltimore. Give em room to burn and destroy. They need it Jimmy the pizza did not work.