5/22/17 Caucus
PERTH AMBOY – Code Enforcement Director Jamie Rios and two Supervisors: Lance Nelson and Johan Delgado were present to answer questions posed by the Council in response to residents’ complaints. Most of those complaints stem from the fact that Code Enforcement has not been present at several Caucus and Council Meetings where in the past, they were always there.
Councilman Fernando Gonzalez started off and told Code Enforcement, “You have come up at discussions at meetings and no one has been here. Many questions have been asked about a fire that occurred at 154 Rector St. and also about elevator problems at a building located at 675 New Brunswick Ave. You have given us a report on the Rector Street fire.”
Code Enforcement Director Jamie Rios responded, “I or another representative from my Department will be here on a monthly basis and we will try to send monthly reports electronically to the Council. Last year, our department received a new computer system. We get complaints that are sent us from the Fire and Police Departments and when we do, we send out an inspector. When we go out to a site that has a complaint, we can input the date, time, type of complaint and the action taken. The report that you (the Council) have in your hands right now are from January 1st to March 31st of this year. There were 130 complaints which 70 were for illegal housing. Of the 130 complaints and a total of 95 them involved court cases. In 2016, there were 269 inspections. So far, this year (2017) we’ve had 329.”
Supervisor Lance Nelson and Director Jamie Rios both told the Council that Smart Phones are used to generate reports. Rios also said, “We can scan all the information to the office.”
Councilman Fernando Gonzalez said, “The Citizens complain that we don’t inspect that much, but now I will be able to see (when those residents call us (the Council)) if their complaints are on the reports.”
Rios told Gonzalez, “You can see any complaint reports from the beginning (when it was first reported) and the status of the complaint up until it’s resolved.”
Johan Delgado said, “While we’re out in the field (at a property) we can take photos and forward them to our office or other Departments so that they can see what we’re seeing at the same time.”
Gonzalez then had questions about certificates on compliance.
Nelson said, “If there is a sheriff’s sale, we will not have a certificate of compliance.”
Jamie Rios added additional information stating, “If a property is sold from one family member to another, they may not have to have a code of compliance. There is an ordinance on this.”
Councilman Gonzalez (who is also a real estate agent) said, “All transfers are recorded to our tax department.”
Rios countered, “The deed won’t say if there is code compliance.”
Gonzalez answered back, “You (Code Enforcement) can check with the Tax Department. As soon as we receive it, we can put it in the books.”
Rios responded, “I will talk to Adam Cruz (Business Administrator) and the Tax Assessor to cross check.”
Rios gave additional information about the number of units at 154 Rector St. “Our records indicate it was a 3 family all along and registered through the State. When it was sold in 1998, it was listed as a 3 family. During the code compliance, there were 4-5 violations when the house was sold, but the owners at the time ignored them.”
Supervisor Nelson offered more information on the structure, “They (people involved in selling 154 Rector St.) should not have gone into closing until they got a C/O, but in this case, that didn’t happen.”
Gonzalez responded, “There is a penalty of over $1000 if a person violates a code compliance and we should be collecting these fines.”
Director Rios gave a brief synopsis of how violations are handled, “A notice of violation is sent out and the recipient who has 10 days to comply. If they don’t, we issue a summons which includes a court date. We don’t get involved with sheriff sales or family to family transfers when it comes to code compliance and that is per City Ordinance.”
Councilman Fernando Irizarry had a question, “Aren’t there inspectors assigned to certain neighborhoods?”
This was in response to people who complained about properties that have not been cleaned up for a long stretch of time.
Nelson said, “I agree that maintenance has been neglected on some properties – maybe weeks – but not months. We have over 10,000 structures.”
Inspector Delgado shed some more light on why this may be the case, “Sometimes an owner who lives alone may die or even be hospitalized and that property may go into distress. Once a week, we will have inspectors walk their areas in the summer.”
Rios then stated, “Instead of having 3 Strikes – You’re out – it’s now 2 strikes and you’re out. We also have inspectors working on the weekends.”
Delgado reminded those present, “It takes a village to help us (Code Enforcement).”
Councilman Irizarry had another concern. He asked, “Do you give people who complaints are lodged against them the name of the person who complained about them?”
Director Rios responded, “60% of the complaints that are called in are anonymous. We also have a list of vacant property, but it’s regularly updated. We have 4 abandoned properties on file now. We can give you a list of abandoned versus vacant properties.”
Councilman Joel Pabon showed his frustration, “It’s the same people who are repeat violators. You should know automatically who the bad boys and girls are. The inspectors need to be held accountable if there are repeat violators in their area that aren’t addressed.”
During the Public Portion of the Meeting, Resident Jeremy Baratta who resides at 675 New Brunswick Ave., told the Council that the elevator in his building is still not working. He also inquired, “How long does it take for the Meetings to be aired?”
Council President Bill Petrick stated, “The Meeting should be aired by Friday (5/26/17).
Resident Stanley Sierakowski had some suggestions that he felt would benefit Code Enforcement and the Council: “Code Enforcement should call the Sheriff’s Department for their monthly foreclosure list. (Then the properties (in the City) will be red-flagged.) And you (the Council) should have been told to strengthen your ordinance (dealing with code compliance on foreclosed properties).”
Resident Ken Balut wondered, Why didn’t the Council ask Code Enforcement about the Kushner property? You can see all the illegal housing. As soon as a school is built, it will be overcrowded.”
Then Balut pointed to Mr. Baratta when he made the following statement, “675 New Brunswick Ave. is supposed to be for people 55 years and older. Does he look like he’s that old?”
