City Council codes hearing
4:42 p.m. Monday, December 3, 2007
Topeka — If the City Council approves an ordinance making changes to the city's hearing process, night court could become a reality for those refusing to clean up their properties. The City Council will look at the ordinance at Tuesday night's City Council meeting.
Dan Kingman says the property at 615 SW Tyler has looked like that for at least ten years.
"It's frustrating. We've known that city's known about it," Kingman said.
Now the city is proposing two major changes to the code enforcement process they say will go a long way to getting owners to clean up their acts. One will force those refusing to clean up their properties to schedule a hearing with a hearing officer. Right now that's optional.
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"It's not clear why this modification to the current ordinance is an additional hoop or maybe it will make it more streamline," Kingman said.
Right now, housing issues such as a bad roof or a falling porch are handled through municipal court. Violators are rarely sent to jail. Often they get fines that they can't pay. The cases are then closed, but the problems aren't fixed. City officials hope this new plan will do more to clean up our city, rather than focus on punishment.
The other change would create a type of night court. City officials hope this will result in more people showing up for court, instead of just being closed.
"It's important the city and it's process be accessible by all it's citizens. I think evening hours are great," Kingman said.
Houses from Hell
See 49's Houses From Hell series on neighborhood blight in Topeka
- Houses From Hell: One owner struggles with city to keep his house standing (May 6, 2007)
- Houses from Hell: House demolition a long, lengthy process (May 9, 2007)
- Houses from Hell: Problems after the demolition (May 13, 2007)
- Houses from Hell: Neighborhoods look into possible solutions (May 16, 2007)
- Buildings from Hell: Abandoned businesses attract crime and lower property values (May 20, 2007)
- Houses from Hell: County DA wants to put the law into action (May 23, 2007)
- Landlords Association offers to help clean up house from hell (November 27, 2007)
- City Council codes hearing (December 3, 2007)
- "Houses from Hell" series spurs action from the DA (December 18, 2007)
- New look for 615 SW Tyler...neat and tidy (December 19, 2007)
- DA applauds Houses from Hell investigation (December 27, 2007)
- Charges filed after Houses from Hell investigation (December 28, 2007)
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