By: Zona M. Pickens
As Legislative Assistant to Councilman Mike Walker, on July 13th, I attended a workshop on Mayor Kip Holden’s new Blight Enforcement Program and how “Litter Court” will operate. This idea was born as a result of Mayor Holden’s “Listening Tour” meetings where, over and over, he heard residents complain about the trash and blight that seem to be overtaking EBR Parish.
The 5 most common violations on which this program will concentrate are:
1. Accumulation of junk/trash/debris
2. Maintenance of Property – Overgrown vegetation, open/vacant buildings
3. Swimming Pools – Security (gate & fence requirements) and condition
4. Sign Ordinance Violations – Size, zoning, location, non-permitted
5. Garbage Containers
Basic explanation of the process:
a. Residents are still requested to report perceived violations to the 311 Call Center.
b. DPW or Office of Neighborhood representative assigned to the area in which the offense is located will take pictures of the alleged violation using a specialized camera inputting the images into a computer system.
c. ATS (the same company that generates the traffic light violation letters) will generate a 15-day warning letter (from date of letter) with possible hearing notice date to the property owner(s).
d. If the problem is not addressed by the owner within the specified time, new photos will be taken that ATS will use to issue a certified letter (this does not have to be signed for by the owner in order to legally be recognized as having been received) to alert the owner to the date and time for a hearing by an Administrative Hearing Officer (AHO) (this keeps such cases from backing up on a judicial docket).
e. The AHO will have the authority to assess a fine of $117 FOR EACH VIOLATION as well as court fees and DPW clean-up costs. Owners who refuse to pay the clean-up costs will find that amount attached to their property tax bill the following year.
Some of the main things that are exciting about this approach to these long-standing and ongoing problems is that: instead of only 4 DPW Inspectors to cover the entire parish, there are now 15 (and possibly more); instead of cases getting backed up on a judicial docket, there is now in a special AHO who will hear ONLY these cases; this is a stream-lined process that significantly cuts the time between when the offense is first reported and when it possibly is heard in court; and, it takes care of the possibility of out-of-state or absentee owners getting away with being irresponsible.
The program is scheduled to get begin on August 1st with the first court hearing date of Sept. 17th.
Should you want more information, call your Councilperson’s office. Click here to find your Councilperson.