minutes-11-19-14

Oakwatch: The Oakland Code Enforcement Project Meeting Minutes November 19th, 2014 at the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh 12-1:30pm

Mission: Oakwatch: The Oakland Code Enforcement Project seeks to improve the quality of life for residents, employees and visitors by enforcing codes on negligent property owners, housing violations, parking violations, disruptive behavior, excessive noise, and underage drinking in the Oakland neighborhood.

I.

In attendance: Maria Bethel, Meg Campbell, Alicia Carberry, Ethel DeIuliis, Joan Dickerson, Julie Evans, Liz Gray, Nathan Hart, Chris Honeywill, Shuning Huang, Guy Johnson, Hanson Kappelman, Blair Kossis, Sheryl Laffey, Shannon Leshen, Janice Lorenz, Bob McPherson, Neil Manganaro, David Manthei, Michael Medwed, Caroline Mitchell, Mark Oleniacz, Antonio Palmieri, Giovanna Palmieri, Rebekkah Ranallo, Peg Sedlack, Kannu Sahni, Lara Sullivan, Michael Thompson, John Wilds, Wanda Wilson, Mary Beth Wolfe.

II.

Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board Alcohol Education (Mary Beth Wolfe, Sheryl Laffey) -Many resources and free materials are available as PDFs online at plcb.state.pa.gov and can also be ordered for mailing. Postage is free.

-Per 2006 legislation Act 85 requires the PLCB to create a two-year report for Pennsylvania’s General Assembly on high-risk and under-age drinking.

-Controltonight.com provides information on the Call the Shots campaign, which focuses on educating 21-29 year-olds on responsible drinking.

-The PLCB has funded $11 million worth of grants since 1999.

-Technical assistance is offered to groups applying for grants (note that Oakland Planning and Development was awarded a 2013-2015 Grant to Reduce Underage and Dangerous Drinking), and it is suggested to use data from hospitals and law enforcement in the grant application.

-PLCB partnered with Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) to train trainers to work with schools and organizations to present the “Power of Parents” in talking to kids about drinking.

-The PLCB also has a “Be the Hero” campaign to incentivize the designation of a sober driver.

-The Responsible Alcohol Management Program (RAMP) works with licensees, bars, and distributors.

-The benefits: well-trained staff are less likely to be cited the $1250-5000 for underage serving, liquor liability insurance companies offer discount to RAMP-certified establishments.

-Oakland is home to 32 restaurants with liquor licenses, 2 of which have been mandated to complete RAMP training. 6 restaurants are currently RAMP-certified.

-These liquor licenses are currently held in Oakland, too: 3 Catering Club, 3 Hotel, 3 Distributor, 1 Importing Distributor, 3 Public Venue, and 3 Eating Places. None of these are RAMP-certified.

-A neighbor noted that the unlicensed establishments like house parties are the real problems in Oakland, and Sheryl Laffey noted that that falls under Liquor Control Enforcement’s jurisdiction, not the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board. 1-800-UNDER-21 is a useful number to alert local police to under drinking.

-UDETC.org offers free online courses on topics like Controlled Party Dispersal.

-Call (412) 723-0109 or find PLCB Alcohol Education on Facebook or on the web at lcb.state.pa.us.

III.

Pittsburgh Action Against Rape (Julie Evans): -Pittsburgh Action Against Rape (PAAR) serves women, men, and children of all ages.

-Rape and sexual assault are highly recognized as sexual violence and occur at a lower frequency than lesserrecognized forms, such as sexist remarks.

-Almost 90% of adult sexual violence cases involve drugs or alcohol.

-Julie Evans underlined the importance to carve out a space of understanding for sexual violence in society and suggested to: -Use open and honest communication -Challenge sexist jokes and comments -Get consent for any and all sexual activity -Invite PAAR to work with your community -Intervene if you notice suspicious activity -Realize that 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys will be the victim of sexual violence -In answering the question of how often assault occurs versus what is reported: it is difficult to accurately measure instances of sexual violence since victims face obstacles in coming forward. Carving out space for victims to do so is a good start toward more accurate reporting.

-Hanson Kappelman added that sexual violence citations related to alcohol are not as visible. As neighbors, let’s watch out for young people.

IV.

Oakland Police Partner Crime Reports (10 minutes): October reports. a. Pittsburgh Police, Zone 4 Community Relations Officer Shannon Leshen -The Oakland Impact Squad is deviating from Oakland for a little while to preemptively address possible protests after the Ferguson, Missouri verdict is made public.

-30 physical arrests: 8 drug, 8 DUI/ motor violation, 4 theft from business, 2 simple assault, 2 disorderly conduct, 2 firearms violations, 1 burglary, 1 harassment, 1 criminal trespass.

-17 citations—see chart on next page for detailed breakdown:

-Noted that all of October’s citations are alcohol-related.

-Officer Leshen’s data in January will compare current data with last year’s numbers.

-Pittsburgh Police meet bi-monthly with the Nuisance Bar Taskforce and Liquor Control Enforcement.

-A neighbor asked if it is appropriate to call 911 if underage drinking is suspected. If it is currently happening, yes. If it is an ongoing problem, report it to 311.

-Another neighbor asked if any attempt is made to source the alcohol at the time of underage drinking arrests. Officers can try. Mary Beth Wolfe added that sourcing investigations do occur but take time.

b. University of Pittsburgh Police, Officer Guy Johnson: -In attending the Oakland Police Coalition meeting, Officer Johnson reported that Point Park Police are focusing on patrolling Oakcliffe more.

-33 physical arrests made in October, and 75 citations.

-41 of the citations were for underage drinking, and all those cited were affiliated with Pitt.

-9 were disorderly conducts -12 marijuana possession -3 public urination -3 open container -University of Pittsburgh Police disbanded 18 parties and issued two citations.

-Blair Kossis asked if they were able to tie those citations to the City’s Disruptive Properties Ordinance -Maria Bethel shared that University police are still unable to connect to the Ordinance.

-Disruptive Properties cannot be manually entered into the database—only at the time of the citation does it go into the database and then the Zone Commander must complete the entry.

-Knock and Talks have been ongoing and effective. Students are asking, “What can we do to get along better with our neighbors?” The group was encouraged to continue introducing themselves to their neighbors and to make the conversations go both ways.

V.

City Council Update, Q&A (District 3’s Neil Manganaro): Notes on the proposed rental registry legislation.

-Requiring rental properties to be registered is a very positive thing for not only the city, but for community groups, neighbors, and responsible landlords in our communities.

-It gives the city the ability to finally know, very clearly, how many rental units we have, where they are located, and who owns and manages them.

-It gives neighborhoods and community groups tools to better identify problem properties and irresponsible landlords and collaborate with the city to address the issues.

-It levels the playing field for landlords, because landlords who are tax delinquent or own dangerous/unauthorized rental units will no longer be able to compete with those who follow the rules and do the right thing.

-The proposed $65 fee, which was decided upon after a meticulous cost analysis, is at the lower median of fees for cities across the country, many charge up to $250 per year per unit.

-This new, amended bill will address all concerns raised in lawsuits over the original bill from 2009. The provisions that allegedly ran afoul of privacy protections and equal protections have been removed. No annual inspection is required, and the owner does not need to list all tenants.

-No one who owes the city taxes or who has outstanding property maintenance or building code violations can obtain a permit until those issues are addressed.

-Renting units without a permit warrants fines up to $500 per unit per month.

-The proposed bill will be amended to exempt nonprofits from fees as the city knows these organizations are providing a public service to Pittsburgh.

-Support from groups like Oakwatch is very important in this case—you can attend the Public Hearing in City Council Chambers (5th floor of the City- County Building at 414 Grant Street) on December 1 at 6pm and make your opinion heard. Sign up at pittsburghpa.gov/cityclerk/form/signup.php This is very important to council members and officials in letting them know how much responsible renting means to Pittsburgh!

VI.

Oakland Property Progress Report, Q&A (Inspector McPherson) -3101 Niagara is worsening.

-3616 Parkview’s case will be January 15.

-343 Lawn’s case has been continued to January.

-No recent complaints on 3374 Dawson; BBI has been monitoring.

-3421 Parkview legalized one of the vehicles in the backyard.

-An arrest warrant is out for Eli Wasserman, the owner of 244 Dunseith.

-3431 Parkview replaced a front window without consulting the Historic Review Commission. Notice sent.

-The city withdrew the charges against 306 Ophelia and it has been sold.

-332 Ophelia yet to be investigated.

-If over occupancy is suspected, please report it to 311 before the end of the school year.

VII.

Disruptive Property Statistics, Q&A (Maria Bethel): Oakland submission breakdown -One Oakland property submitted to the Ordinance: 365 Atwood Street for paraphernalia.

VIII.

Landlord Roundtable (Wanda Wilson) -OPDC will be hosting regular landlord roundtables to provide opportunities to address areas of common concern, and foster some peer pressure from responsible landlords for property maintenance.

-The next one is December 3 and the guest speaker is University of Pittsburgh Police Officer Johnson, requested by name after word of the Knock and Talks’ effectiveness spread.

IX.

Community Announcements & Events: -Thursday, November 20, 10a: Oakland properties in Housing Court, see attached flyer.

-Thursday, November 20, 4:30p: “Bully” documentary screening + forum at the Corner (200 Robinson). Snacks provided. For more info, email Nadine, halisi.pr@gmail.com -Thursday, November 20, 6-7:30p: Oakland Green Team meeting at the Oakland Career Center. Guest speaker: Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy’s Senior Restoration Ecologist: Erin Copeland -Saturday, November 29: Small Business Saturday. Shop Small, Shop Oakland! Find a list of community businesses at onlyinoakland.org -Monday, December 1, 6p: Public hearing in City Council Chambers (5th floor of the City-County Building at 414 Grant Street) for proposed rental registry legislation. RSVP to speak: 412.255.2138 -Monday, December 15: Oakland Leadership Celebration at Alumni Hall (4227 Fifth Avenue). Cocktail reception at 5:30p, Panel Discussion at 6:30p. Register at onlyinoakland.org -Thursday, December 18, 5:30p: OPDC’s holiday party at the Oakland Career Center. Everyone is invited!

X.

Meeting Adjournment.

Next meeting: No December meeting—happy holidays! Our next meeting will be Wednesday, January 21st, 12pm at the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, 234 McKee Place in Oakland. Please RSVP so we know how many we will be.

Contact Oakwatch: oakwatch@opdc.org or 412.621.7863 ext. 27. Thanks for keeping us in the loop!