Inter-Neighborhood Council
Making Better Neighborhoods
Http://www.rtpnet.org/durhminc
Minutes of Meeting of April 27, 2004
REPRESENTATIVES PRESENT
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Donna Monroe
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Lassiter Street
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* Frank Duke
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Durham City County Planning
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Pat Carstensen
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Cross County
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Richard Mullinax
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Old North Durham
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Cheryl Sweeney
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Northgate Park
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Paul Cornsweet
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Morehead Hills
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Cathy Abernathy
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Hope Valley
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Randy Pickle
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Forest Hills
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Risa Foster
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Trinity Heights NA
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Dale Stouch
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Placid Valley
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David Harris
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Old Farm
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Fred L. Mowry
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West Glenn
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Bill Scott
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Lassiter Street
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Bill Anderson
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Duke Park
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* Lorisa Seibel
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Durham Affordable Housing Coalition
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Lynwood D. Best
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City of Durham, Housing & Comm Development
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R. Gaye Weaver
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Old West Durham
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Lt. Ron Evans
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Durham Police Department
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Bobbe Deason
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Morehead Hills
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Helena Cragg
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Old North Durham
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* Barbara T. Belvin
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NCFHC
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Renate Wend
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Deb Cristie
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Colony Hill
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Vicki Schneider
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Woodlake HOA
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Melvin Whitley
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Y. E. Smith
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Alice Bumgarner
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Trinity Park
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Carmetta Green
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Housing Department
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Erick Larson
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TLNA
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* Speaker
Administration and Announcements
President Cheryl Sweeney opened the meeting, and members introduced themselves.
Rental Property Panel Delegates brought up a number of additional issues, including
§ Some people are making money on depreciation while houses deteriorate
§ Selling houses among friends and relatives to derail orders to clean up property
§ Inability of Stormwater to do more than send letter when yard waste is obstructing drainage.
§ On the other hand, there was a story about community pressure working for a house where Community Development got it cleaned up and put lien on house to pay for it.
Lorisa Siebel described some of the things the Durham Affordable Housing Coalition (www.dahc.org) is doing, including a vacant housing survey that found 800 houses that are just not being maintained. Code enforcement should be a last resort. If there were enough staff in housing inspections, a housing certification program would be a good way to prevent problems (but getting enough staff is needed first).
Frank Duke talked about what citizens should do when they think there is a zoning violation in their area. The steps are:
§ Call Planning Department. Note that a lot of things are not zoning violations (toys in front yard or gravel in front yard that is approved for parking). Call them anyhow if in doubt and they will give direction on what CAN be done.
§ A zoning inspector will come out to see if there is evidence that will stand up in court. This may take a couple days since they need to cover the whole county.
§ If the inspector doesnt see anything and you still believe there is a violation, take pictures. Note that if you want the matter pursued, you have to be willing to testify about it in court. (Actually taking people to court is rare, by the time you get done with the rounds of opportunities to correct problem, etc.). Take the pictures to the Planning Department and they will make a call on whether there is a violation.
§ If there is a violation, a notice will go to the landlord and/or tenant. About 2/3 will immediately correct the problem, often that day.
§ If the problem is not corrected, Planning issues a citation (where penalties are $300 / day, unless the problem involves vegetation, with is more complex). If the problem is corrected, the penalty can be waived, but if the problem starts up again, charges go back to the original citation.
§ Complaints can be anonymous, but then there will be no follow-up.
Some typical non-violations are:
§ Abandoned cars (they are housing or police problem, depending on where they are, except if they are visibly inoperable, in which case, the junk yard zoning rules apply.
§ Too many residents in a house (unless you can prove the residents arent related). Housing code may be a viable tool if there really isnt enough space.
§ Operating a business when they have a home occupation permit
§ Storage shed on residential property (unless it doesnt have required set-back).
§ In single family zoning, you can now park in the front yard, but current version of revised code (to be passed this year) fixes this.
Barbara Belvin talked about Section 8 housing. Their guidelines include zero tolerance for drugs, requirements on housing quality, prohibitions on being convicted of crime, and fair housing rules. Enforcing the law is about how people live, not limits on where they can live. A lot of deserving people really benefit from the program.
Other Items
§ Billboard Bill is back. The words just are on billboards now, but it is hard to see how general amortization could survive if the bill is passed. INC re-iterated its opposition to this bill and will send letters to City Council, Board of County Commissioners, and Legislative Delegation.
§ Neighborhood Conference It will be in Durham. There may be some volunteer opportunities. INC voted to spend $100 on a booth and Risa will take lead on putting one together.
§ Newsletters Please bring copies to share and to use at things like an INC booth.
§ New issues We will take time to discuss strategies to improve etiquette on dog doodoo, Central Campus on Duke as detriment to Ninth Street, and raising dues or other fund-raising.
§ Speed hump resolution We will get resolution to council this week.
Adjournment The meeting adjourned with a reminder to look at the events listed at the bottom of the agenda.
