Oakwatch: The Oakland Code Enforcement Project Minutes November 18, 2015
Chairperson Kappelman brought the meeting to order, read Oakwatch mission, and facilitated introductions. Present: Hanson Kappelman, Liz Gray, Wanda Wilson, Julie Lee , Alicia Carberry, Nadia Pacheco Amaro, Patrick Corelli, Jack Heidecker, Everett Green, Andrew Dolan, Liz Lepro, Rachel Lauver, Guy Johnson, Michael Medwed, Joan Dickerson, John Wilds, Shawn Wigle, Lywell Moore, Kevin Boyle, Neil Manganaro, Corey Buckner, Grant Gittlen, Julie Reiland, Maria Bethel, Mark Oleniacz, Thomas Pauley, Shannon Leshen, David Shiffren, Robert Harper, Geof Becker, Blair Kossis, Rebekkah Ranallo, Peggy Sedlack Litter and Trash Issues Shawn Wigle, Environmental Services. The group asked what landlords are and are not responsible for in terms of trash cans. This is a gray area – depends on how lease is written. If a smaller building without commercial service, it could be tenant responsibility. Ultimately landlord is responsible for trash on the property. For larger buildings requiring commercial service, there is no question that the building owner provides receptacles. Where is material to be stored? Not at curb; in containers with lids. It cannot be open to blow around, animals get into it. Only at curb at collection day. Providing information to students is easier now with the app pgh.st. Environmental Services will continue to provide calendar. The app shows holidays, special collection events, special cancellations in the event of weather. Litter is a concern. Police can cite for litter – need to see it in action. Environmental Services and PLI cite for trash accumulation on property. Clean up is the best thing to be done. City would be cleaner if each property owner would take responsibility for their own property. Beautify your Burg. Beautify your Burg Neighborhood Concerns form. [Note: OPDC’s Keep it Clean, Oakland! program is part of Beautify your Burg.] DPW has a program to clean up parks. 311 always your best option. Q: on trash collection day, required to have in containers, or can it be on plastic bags at curb? A: yes, it can be put out in bags. Risk of animal getting into it overnight, though. Q: early set out is difficult to cite, 311 can take longer than the issue is there. A: they are quick with things like that. Q: improper storage – is there any consequences for this? A: yes, can be cited. Environmental Services can issue that citation. Use 311 to make sure it goes to the appropriate place. Fines start at $100. If
multiple citations, can go up to $300; magistrate could be $1,000. They issue a warning first. They can cite tenant or owner, or both. 45 gallon cans are an issue for city workers. Requirement is 35 gallon and less. Workers are not to lift containers over 45 gallons. Oakland needs to recycle more. If we had more recycling, our trash would be cut in half. Q: can you cite for not recycling? A: yes. How to address recycling in apartment buildings. Q: Recycle Source – new equipment at Hazelwood facility. It is absolutely recycled. The city would be willing to pick up recycling from commercial properties. They could issue blue totes. You must clean food out of containers for recycling. Q: can pizza boxes be recycled? The lid. If not completely saturated, yes. The part with food cannot. Q: more detail about the totes. A: large containers for recycling. Landlord call and do agreement with city. City could collect it. The group encouraged Environmental Services to notify PLI when they identify a housing unit with more than three unrelated individuals. Facilitate that communication. Also please notify Oakwatch. If see trash collectors throw bags and break, call 311. Often the problem is with the set out to begin with. University of Pittsburgh Student Government Board Update P Corelli update – board passed resolution in support of rental registry. Get word out to students to advocate for getting the bill passed. Preliminary discussions about trash issue. Pilot to have recycling every week. To alleviate trash problems. Preliminary with City Council. Rachel Lauver – community outreach chair. Get community service efforts involved with Oakland. They are in the process of filling neighborhood association positions for the student tenant association. Neighborhood chairs will be the liaison from students to neighborhood organizations. Applications being accepted now. Property Progress Report 3610 Frazier 3380 Dawson Inspections show no conversions. 3224 Blvd – not condemnable. Cited for weeds , being open
Kennet Sq. 3221. Sent stop work notice to require permits for deck. PLI has violation search website up now. Search by address. Disruptive Properties Sent out 22 notices. Niagara, Allequippa, Dunseith, Dawson, Bates, S Bouquet, Boundary, N Craig, Meyran, Cable Place. Two properties were declared disruptive. Six more waiting to be processed. Noise, multiple for underage purchase, public drunkenness. This is a significant increase from last year. Oakwatch expressed appreciation for growing cooperation with Zone 4 and Disruptive Properties for this work to improve life in Oakland. Zone 4 9 arrest October Oct 7 Sennot Way narcotics detectives growing marijuana, firearms, currency, equipment. Oct 8 3400 Bates. Burglary in progress. Taken in to custody Oct 11 2000 Deraud. (Uptown neighborhood) Burglary, firearm discharge into structure Oct 14 2000 Deraud. (Uptown neighborhood) Drug arrest Oct 15 deraud wyandott (Uptown neighborhood) Oct 17 3200 Niagara burglary. Guitar $3,000 first floor window. Arrested via warrant Oct 23 3400 Ward robbery. Arrest Oct 26 Centre marijuana possession Oct 27 3300 Hardy way. Bench warrant. Suspicious male in a vehicle. Update on robberies. 4 this month. Nov 4 edith place 2:30 in morning. Woke up on childs street, assault. Nov 4 evening robbery of cell phone; disorderly conduct arrests Nov 15 Terrace and Buffalo, robbery of motor vehicle. Attempted carjacking. Witnesses provided description. Under investigation. Nov 15 230 am 100 block Boundary. Apartment. Armed robbery. Filing arrest warrants. Citations 1 crim misch 1 defined tres
10 disord cond 3 publ drunk 11 underage drinking 9 excessive noise 1 consuming alcohol on 1 public urination public place Q: 3313 ward. A: will have to look it up. Centre Craig – drug activity and nuisance bars. Give an update next month. Also came up at disruptive property task force on radar. Q: SGB uptick on armed home invasions. A: will research. Usually not random – there is usually activity that makes someone a target. Lessons learned: lock your door, windows closed on first floor. Q: update on peace sign graffiti artist? There is now a graffiti squad up and running again. Two detectives have been selected. We can have them come to a future meeting. 336 Ophelia evictions. 422-6559 Thanksgiving dinner orders. Zone 4 public safety council meeting tomorrow at 6 pm. Pitt Police Update September 243 reports. 30 arrests. 110 citations. 149 off campus. Impact warned or shut down 45 parties in September. 48 citations for underage 6 urination 8 panhandling. 11 open container. Off campus. October 213 incidents. 30 arrests. 85 citations. 117 off campus. Impact shut down 55 parties month of Oct. 21 j board citations-. 45 underage drinking. 3 simple assault. 5 public drunkenness citations. 4 panhandling. 4 open container. 9 marijuana. 4 cisorderly conduct. 3 tresspass. 3 aggr assault. 7 warrant arrests. How did Halloween go? A: not too over the top. Impact was out and broke up a lot of parties. This year different than last year. JWilds out Halloween night – it did not appear to be outrageous. Oakwatch appreciates that very much. Q: arrests go to j board? yes, if cited or arrested, automatically go to j board. the j board listing is in addition to the other citations.
Issue of traffic enforcement and bike/pedestrian safety – interest in more attention to citing violations. Zone 4 and Pitt Police coordinate? A: Johnson – bayard/ohara motorcycles focused on traffic. Green team spoke to him about getting numbers. Will see what they can do. Not visible. There was a walk around Oakland yesterday about bike lanes. Confusing. It is done every day. It has always been a thing to do traffic stops. Leshen – spread thin for traffic enforcement. Greenfield bridge cut through in residential streets in Squirrel Hill. Trying to target methods to identify times. SGB identified need for signage. Grant Gittlen: specific conversations happening. Alex lead on effort. Met with Police Chief, Bike Pittsburgh, and City Planning. Bike accidents unreported. Also long term discussions on planning. If have question, Kristin, and Alex. Trying to manage. It is a big discussion. Oakland Green Team also a resource – meets tomorrow night. News from Mayor’s Office It is budget time. Act 47 approved it. It is before City Council. Give feedback. Rental registration legislation will come up next week. Expect it to pass. A lot of discussions about how it could be improved. It will not be perfect. It is a tool that we need. A basic tool to improve public safety. Bike Pittsburgh bike pamphlets for education – expand to information on vehicles through parking garages at major employers. DPW looking at options to improve Allequippa St intersection. Pot hole blitz now. Did more miles than expected to this year – thanks to low oil prices. Keep reporting. If taking longer to get back to you, calls related to the attacks in Paris and Mayor’s statement about refugees. Dept of innovation and performance resiliency meeting – tomorrow evening at 6:30. Q: has MO explored weekly recycling? A: yes, budget question. Should talk about it in Oakland. City Council District 8 Both regular meeting and standing committee are on Monday next week. 311 update: PLI is in the 311 database. Council staff has access to this dbase. They can review 311 reports by council district. Call if need for follow up. Update on Parking Authority and COR re: changes to RPPP. Director Onorato – feedback. Motto: don’t bring cars here. Discourage bringing cars. Talk of strengthening requirements to get a permit – lease as opposed to utility bill. Changes being discussed attempt to reduce abuse of system. Encourage more people to use transit and not bring cars to neighborhood. Big issue; hard to solve. Parking Authority will
have 4 license plate readers by end of year. Can enforce wrong way parking more because this will be issue for the license plate readers. City Council District 3 City has hired new nighttime economy manager. Controlling and managing responsible nightlife. Meet and greet today. Decades of experience. Madison WI similar issues. Announcements Additional Concerns from Residents JWilds reports council on higher education and Pittsburgh Council on Higher Education conference on alcohol consumption and dangerous behaviors such as sexual assault. Universities from the region, national speakers. Well attended, well done. Oakwatch appreciates this. Q: Robert Harper received request for sharing video footage with Police. Leshen explained that putting together a list that officers can refer to. One so far, a few people called to ask about it. Next meeting Dec 16.