Minutes for Neighborhood Advisory Council Meeting on Oct. 8, 2007
7:00 pm at Monocacy Elementary School
Attendance:
NAC 3 Board Representatives: Connie Pryor, Beth Conny, Kathy Griffee
Residents: North Crossing (1), Amber Meadows (12)
Welcome/Introductions
Connie Pryor opened the meeting with introductions
Sgt. Ron Figgers –Frederick City Police
Kelly Russell – Special Vehicle Coordinator for the City
Mike Blank – Director of Code Enforcement for the City
Stephanie Davis Ambush – Community Outreach Specialist
Community Police Report
Sgt. Ron Figgers reported (on his night off) that NAC 3 had no major crimes. There have been a number of breaking and entering into cars, mostly in vehicles that are left unlocked. Thieves have been targeting GPS systems, XM stereos and visible electronincs.
Questions/concerns from residents attending
· Juvenile activity in the Amber Meadows Park (alcohol containers and evidence of drug activity) Sgt. Figgers suggested calling Officers Patrick Grossman or Mike Lee at the drug tip line, 301-600-2246. The City Parks close at dark and citizens are encouraged to call the police when they see suspicious activity. Non emergency police number is 301-600-2100. You can be anonymous.
· Resident said he is aware that students are bringing alcohol in soda bottles to TJ High School Athletic Functions. Sgt. Figgers suggested reporting this activity to the Board of Education.
· Complaints regarding School buses should be directed to the Board of Education
· Request for speed traps on Opposumtown Pike to curb the NASCAR like driving at peak times
Kelly Russell
contact info: 301-600-2716 greekdiver@comcast.net
· Kelly handles the abandoned vehicles in the City. In the past few years Amber meadows has been plagued with oversized, commercial and recreational vehicles on the streets. Some of these vehicles sit for 12 or more months without being moved. Kelly reported that she has drafted an ordinance to restrict commercial vehicles, oversized vehicles, boats, trailers, campers, RVs, etc. and presented it to the Mayor for review. The new ordinance(s,) if passed, will address these types of vehicles from being stored on residential streets for more than 48 hours or prohibit certain vehicles (tractor trailers) from parking in a residential area at all.
· Residents have 30 days (exception is active duty military) to get their out of state licenses changed to Maryland tags.
Mike Blank
Code Enforcement 301-600-3825 Mike@cityoffrederick.com
· Follow up report on the “Clean Sweep” that Code Enforcement started in May 2007. On one day Code Enforcement Inspectors wrote 107 violations. The areas with the highest number of violations were:
NAC 3 (Amber Meadows area)
NAC 5 (Taskers Chance area)
NAC 8 (Hillcrest area)
NAC 10 (Carrollton St., Jefferson St., Center St. area)
There were a total of 600 violations with the Sweep, 510 notices went to homeowners.
Some homeowners had more than one violation.
· Discussion/questions pertaining to businesses being run out of residential homes that have multiple vehicles (Alpha Design, Direct TV, Handy Hubby.) Code Enforcement will do follow-ups in the NACs
· Code Enforcement is looking into zoning violations and overcrowding complaints. The mayor is putting together a Task Force to study/address the overcrowding complaints in order to meet today’s changing needs in the City.
· Rooming House -- there is currently a rooming house ordinance and you need a big lot to meet the requirements. It’s unlikely that homes in NAC 3 would meet those requirements.
· Overcrowding is a National Issue. The Federal government hasn’t addressed this issue yet. The problems are showing up on the local level and municipalities are at a loss of how to handle the complaints. Not all overcrowding incidents are illegal immigrants. One of the biggest troubles is not enough affordable housing. The Supreme Court regulates the number of people in a home (related by blood and 2 unrelated people.) Other stipulations for number of people residing at one property are based on the square footage of the house. It’s a safety issue.
· Rental Licensing Discussion – currently 45% of housing units in the City are rentals
1. Could improve the housing stock on the City, monitor overcrowding
2. There are properties that can’t/shouldn’t be rental properties
3. Help look out for the health, safety and welfare of the tenants
City Update by Stephanie Davis Ambush
Contact info: 301-600-1384 stephanie@cityoffrederick.com
· Stephanie encouraged everyone to fill out a Frederick Emergency Preparedness card and keep the cards on the refrigerator. The cards provide emergency personnel pertinent information such as who to call, mediations taken daily, etc. in the event of an emergency.
· Leaf pick up by the City is Nov. 5 - Dec 14. Please don’t blow all the leaves into a large pile into the street, but spread them out for easier pickup. Yard waste will continue being picked up during the leaf pick up on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday each month. Leaves can be placed in the yard waste recyclable bags for pick up.
· Stephanie will pass a complaint to DPW that the street sweeper only cleans one side of the street and never comes back to sweep the other side.
Adjourned at 8:10 after Connie Pryor presented Stephanie a “wedding gift” of a flower and small gift from NAC 3 and Kristina Reichenbach won the raffle (a potted mum)