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HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-24-1994 City Council Workshop IUNUTES CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP CITY OF LAKE ELSINORE 183 NORTH MAIN STREET LAKE ELSINORE, CALIFORNIA WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 24, 1994 ................................................................. - CALL TO ORDER Mayor Pro Tem Bender called the Area J study Session to order at 8:40 a.m. ROLL CALL PRESENT: COUNCILMEMBERS: ALONGI, BENDER, PAPE ABSENT: COUNCILMEMBERS: CHERVENY, WASHBURN Also present were: city Manager Mo1endyk, Assistant city Manager Rogers, ci ty Attorney Harper , Administrative Services Director Boone, ci ty Planner Leslie, Communi ty services Manager Best, Special projects Manager watenpaugh, Public Services Director Tecca, Acting Chief Building Official Russell, Community services Manager Best, Chief Schmutz, Captain Yankee, and City Clerk Kasad. - DISCUSSION ITEM - Area "J" (F:127.2) City Manager Mo1endyk introduced the head table and explained that the Workshop is addressing the area between Lincoln and Joy Streets, and Riverside and Machado Streets. He thanked all the persons in attendance for their interest and participation. Assistant City Manager Rogers explained that the City has organized this meeting to act as a catalyst to establish a community Action program to deal wi th continuing problems in the area. She explained that it will take the support of the property owners, property managers, tenants and agencies present today, to produce results. The audience introduced themselves. Captain Yankee, Lake Elsinore Police, explained that this Workshop is a spin-off from some earlier work requested by the City Council to propose ways to address specific problems within the City. He stated that Area "J" is the reporting district of 905H and in a general way of looking at an area, this one small zone constitutes about 35% of the total consumption of police services in the city. Captain Yankee stated that in the first six months of this year, 41% sex crimes occurred in this zone. 38% of the robberies, 35% of all the assaults, and of the miscellaneous felonies, 37% occurred in this zone. This continues down to parking citations of which 45% occurred in this zone. He explained that it is perceived that the police should somehow go in and look at this area and solve the problems. He stated that it is a communi ty based problem and transcends all levels, ranging from property ownership and property management to the frustration of good neighbors. Captain Yankee explained that through narcotic abatement notices or legislation, gang abatement, provisions for the securing of property that has gone awry, the property owners become sensitized to the potential that they may, without proper management, loose their property, all of this in turn means that the property, not maintained may not generate revenue and encourages them to correct the situation. He stated that this action then flows back through the City and results in a good living environment. Captain Yankee pointed out that this is about quality of life issues and not just about crime and is the reason everyone had been gathered today. He explained that one of the questions asked is "How can we assist?". PAGE TWO - CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP - AUGUST 24, 1994 MAYOR WASHBURN ARRIVED AT THE MEETING AT 8:50 A.M. He explained that it can be as simple as how the City puts up street lights and how they are being maintained. He noted that it can be as simple as the City altering simple things like the type of screws that go at the base of street lights that are difficult to remove. Captain Yankee stated that it is his hope that this Workshop will help to prevent the City, other agencies and citizens from going in different directions and from putting their efforts into different priorities. The main objective is to draw everyone together, in cooperation with each other, approach the problems as a unit. - Sheriff-Elect Smith, Riverside County, commended the Sheriff's Department, all the government agencies and the citizens for coming together to address the situation as a community based problem. He stated that the Police Department cannot solve the problems alone and he is please to see everyone's interest in cooperation. Mary Ellen Lewis, Principal of Machado School, stated that they have an active program to address truancy. She stated that she has 1,000 students and 500 of them live on Machado, Nashland and Joy Streets. She explained that on those streets the school has a good solid group of parents, that would be overjoyed at having some community action plan that would make a difference. Mrs. Lewis explained that the Staff at Machado School has had a school wide goal for the last two years to change the perception of the school and help the students to make a difference. City Manager Molendyk stated that one of the hazards of Area IIJII are the empty buildings where children can hide out or get into trouble. - Valerie Mraz, District Attorney's Office, asked for some guidance regarding the type of problems that the different agencies are encountering in order to better help them be more aggressive in their prosecution. She stated that their office is taking a stronger stand on domestic abuse which she understands is a problem in Area "J"o City Manager Molendyk explained that when there is a problem such as is being experienced in Area "J", the due-process system seems to take too long to process. He stated that it is his hope that through this Action group there might be some way to speed up that process. Maryan Baker, Welfare Fraud Investigator, stated that she will have business cards available with an 800 number for reporting suspected fraud cases. She explained that their office will investigate any report and that there is a reward offered for cases that are verified to be fraud. She explained that they work in collaboration with the District Attorney's Office. Assistant city Manager Rogers asked that the property owners and property managers address Council. Mark Piascik, property owner, stated that he owns four buildings on Nashland and that there is a problem on Nashland with a lack of pride of ownership, and the other owners not maintaining their buildings. He noted that the property values have dropped drastically and because of this the property owners are just walking away from their investments. Mr. piascik explained that - - - PAGE THREE - CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP - AUGUST 24, 1994 there are three vacant fourplexes on the street and there are other owners that will either sell or walk in the near future, because they do not want to deal with the problems. He stated that the solution for Nashland street will be through proper management. He explained that there is a problem with bad tenants hoppi~g from ~ne apartment building to another, and one of the problems w1th gett1ng rid of the bad tenant is caused all the different ownerships of the buildings. Mr. piascik indicated that he had suggested to city Manager Molendyk, a central management system to be used to solve the problem and put the enforcement under control of one person. He explained that without the cooperation of the other property owners it is futile to rent to decent tenants since the adjacent building is renting to gang oriented persons who are attracting 30 to 40 persons who hang out at that building. City Manager Molendyk explained that in this type of unit there is such a small margin of profit that the expense of maintenance and up-keep has created a loss. He stated that where the profit is made is through the increase in property value. He stated that this might cause the property owners to work with the city and other agencies to resol ve the problems and improve the area to increase the property values. Mark piascik presented a financial statement which showed the cost factors of the apartments and explained that all of the owners on the street are having to take money out of their pockets to stay afloat and the cost of maintenance or improvements is not feasible. councilman Bender asked about the "Set Free" group which are invited to come into the buildings to make improvements and while doing so live in one of the units rent free. Mr. piascik explained that there are a few units which use those persons, but he does not choose to use that program. He explained that he feels that the program is bringing trouble back onto the street. Councilman Alongi asked how long Mr. piascik has owned his property. Mr. piascik stated that he has owned his property for approximately five years. Councilman Alongi asked what procedure he uses when renting the apartments. Mr. piascik explained that he uses the Union Registry and runs a credit check through them. He explained that this approach is poor at best, since the Registry takes 30 days to pick up an eviction. He stated that his best source is through previous owners or managers. He stated that he visits the previous residence to find out the situation. Councilman Alongi asked what his vacancy factor is. Mr. piascik stated that he is doing well at this time and only has two vacant units. He noted the vacancies in the other units. Councilman Alongi asked what the maintenance and up-keep is per month. Mr. piascik stated that it is approximately two to three hundred dollars per month per unit. He stated that the majority of the money is spent to maintain and repair the units after the tenant has moved out. Councilman Alongi asked how long his tenants stay. Mr. piascik stated that most of his tenants stay approximately one year. City Manager Molendyk stated that later in the Workshop a video would be presented to show the problems which are occurring on Nashland and other streets in Area "J". He noted that one of the problems is that the trash is not being picked up since the bills are not being paid and the electric has been pulled since the tenants have not paid. He stated that this Workshop's objectives were to decide what the problems are; what the neighborhood PAGE FOUR - CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP - AUGUST 24, 1994 identifies with; and what resources are available to address these issues. Mark piascik stated that he feels that it will come down to the Managers or the Owners on the street cleaning this situation up. He explained that the Police Department can help, but their power is limited. Nancy Shafer, property manager, explained that one of the problems wi th property management is tenant screening. She stated that they are handicapped in this area because the local courts are not releasing the information regarding evictions. Mrs. Shafer stated that she would like to have the City'S help in dealing with the court to encourage them to release the necessary information in a timely manner. She explained that the area is known for slow checks and in turn attracts dead beats who knows that they can get away with this. She further noted that a problem which is shared within the whole state is an access to criminal information. She explained that there is no way of knowing if the person that is rented to is a crook or not. She stated that other states do have this ability and it greatly assists the manager. Mrs. Shafer stated that she had approached Code Enforcement Officer Gordon regarding a screening service for code violations. She explained that there are some owners who do no screening at all since they are desperate to fill the unit and screening is a long process. She stated that through proper screening through the courts and through Code Enforcement the unwanted tenant will find that they are no longer wanted and will go elsewhere. Mariana Mohylyn, stated that she felt that there are major problems with the character of people, but reminded the Council that this power should not be abused. city Manager Molendyk asked if any representatives from the utility companies would like to address Council in regard to the problems in Area "J". David Fahrion, CR & R, stated that a few months ago they had donated 3 roll away bins on Nashland and volunteers cleaned the area up. He explained that one of the major problems that his company experiences in that area is non-payment for service. He stated if there could be one management set up then his company could probably provide a better level of service at less cost. He stated that at this time each owner must apply individually. He explained that what will be viewed in the video are all the people that have not paid for service and subsequently the service has been stopped. He explained that with private residences, the delinquent bills were placed on the tax roll and the deliquent funds are collected. He noted the difference between commercial and residential service. He encouraged a cooperati ve effort between all the owners to assist his company in improving their service. Rick Estes, Board of Realtors, commended staff on this Workshop and concurred with Nancy Shafer. He explained that the property owners have just given-up and he suggested that they be notified of the action of this Workshop to let the property owners know that something is being done. Norman Buchannan, Department of Social Services, Child Protective Division, stated that they have had a number of cases from Area "J" - - -- PAGE PIVE - CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP - AUGUST 24, 1994 - ranging from suspicious deaths to unfit living conditions. He stated that his department is a response agency and does not have the ability to initiate action., He explained that his d~partment works closely with the Sher1ff's Department and C1ty Code Enforcement. He commended the Code Enforcement Department of the city and thanked them for their assistance. Deann Chavez Probation Department, stated that she has handled the Lake Elsinor~ area since April and currently her case load is 106 for juvenile probation, the adult probation has a case load of 180 and the ISP officer, who is armed and handles the high risk adults, has a case load of 50. She stated that their department is aware of the problems in Lake Elsinore and in September will be adding an armed gang officer who will cover Lake Elsinore and Temecula, as well as adding a drug dog. Councilman Bender asked how many of her case loads are in the city of Lake Elsinore. Ms. Chavez stated that all the case loads mentioned are in the Lake Elsinore area. Mayor Washburn asked if the case loads mentioned are for just the city. Mrs. Chavez stated that it includes the county section of Lake Elsinore as well as the City. - Janet Matson, Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District, stated that the Water Company has a lot of payment problems in Area "J" and there is a high rate of shut-off's for non-payment. Councilman Pape asked at anyone time how many properties would have their water turned off. Mrs. Matson stated that she does not have those figures and would need to provide the information at a later date. Councilman Alongi asked if this was addressing just the Bird Tract and Nashland. Mrs. Matson stated that she is addressing the entire Area "J". Assistant City Manager Rogers stated that this is a problem area involving 2/1oths of a square mile of the City'S 38 square miles. She explained that 38% of the crime in the City comes from this area. She stated that it is very important to address the questions presented here today and the city will be sending out additional questions. She asked that answers be prepared for the next meeting. She then introduced Acting Chief Building Official Russell and explained that he would be presenting a video of Area "J" which was taken on August 10th. Acting Chief Building Official Russell gave the history and background of the area and explained the problems experienced. Mr. Russell presented a list of the cases that Code Enforcement has handled in Area "J" and the process, time and cost required to handle each case. City Manager Molendyk pointed out that the City of Lake Elsinore has only 1 and 1/2 Code Enforcement Officers for 38 square miles and stated that he feels that they have done a good job. Acting Chief Building Official Russell explained the problems which the City has experienced are due to people inhabiting vacant units and stressed the unsafe living conditions. He noted that there has been a severe problem with vandalizing by tenants who break in to vacant units to remove items to do improvements to their own units; PAGE SIX - CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP - AUGUST 24, 1994 since they express the op1n1on that their property owners will not respond to their requests for repair and maintenance. He then presented the video. Acting Chief Building Official Russell suggested action be taken similar to the City of Montclair which developed a Task Force, set objectives and goals addressing compliance with codes, formed a property owners association and improvements were made by the City. Mr. Russell stated that Code Enforcement would recommend addressing Nashland by requiring Garage doors on carports; planting and maintaining landscaping; enclosing trash containers; enclosing balconies; raising wall at rear of properties; installing block wall fences along property line adjacent to Raven; adding awnings or other window treatments; requiring owner paid utilities; fencing off rear areas to make usable; converting vacant lots to additional parking or play areas; developing stringent landlord/tenant rules and regulations; and installing new signs, i.e. No Parking, etc. - Captain Yankee clarified Area "JIV and 905H reporting Zone. He stated that this is not new information to anyone present, but has given the opportunity for everyone to hear it together and get each other's perspectives. He explained that it is his hope that this would create a union of services that would provide constructive alternatives. Kevin Palmer, Riverside County Economic Development Agency, defined the purpose of his agency and stated that his agency would focus on the housing and job opportunity portion of their abilities. He further explained that his agency assists in helping communities improve themselves and their quality of life. He advised that up in the near future, possibly by the end of September, there will be a Notice of Funds Available for Home Program which could assist the City residents especially in this area. _ Mark piascik stated that he has tried to get explained that everywhere he applied, there available. assistance and were no funds Mr. Palmer stated that it is more difficult for independent owners with a limited number of units, and asked Mr. piascik to contact him for further information. He stated that it is easier to work with a group of property owners and obtain funds when they are under unified management to get more bang from the buck. Mayor Washburn thanked all the persons in attendance and stated that this could generate some positive change. He asked the city Attorney if the City could assist in obtaining information from the courts in a more timely manner. City Attorney Harper stated that the citizens Crime Watch has met with Judge Saradarian in an attempt to generate the information more quickly. He explained that there are limitations in some areas. City Attorney Harper commented on the difficulty of obtaining information regarding the reporting of criminal history of potential tenants. He stated that this could be circumvented by obtaining a waiver from potential tenants which could then be generated through the Police Department. He explained that this could only be done if there was a joint management formed and one person managing all the units. City Attorney Harper explained that there had been an effort in the past to form a property owners association and most of the owners were unwilling to participate. He further explained the legal prosecution in the area. He stated - - - PAGE SEVER - CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP - AUGUST 24, 1994 that the property owners can drive to perris and look over the defendants index themselves to investigate a prospective tenant. city Manager Molendyk asked if there was an opportunity to create a special Overlay District until the area is cleaned up. city Attorney Harper stated that the City has all the tools necessary to address the problem through abatement, but it will solve no problems if the tenants remain the same. city Manager Molendyk explained that approaching the problems in the traditional manner has not worked and asked how to change the system or look for different solutions. city Attorney Harper explained that what is needed is aggressive cooperation from the property owners. Mayor Washburn explained that it takes an aggressive attitude from all parties concerned. He noted the interlocking responsibilities of all agencies, the city and neighborhood residents. He cited the responsibility of the officials of the city and stated that it starts at the beginning of a project and goes from there. Norman Buchannan made special note of the efforts of the School District to bring all the agencies for child welfare under one roof to address the problems in that area. He stated that this program is similar to the old Settlement Houses where different agencies were housed under one roof, and available to address many different problems and needs. councilman Bender stated that there are other groups doing different things that no one else knows about. He suggested with a more coordinated effort more things can be accomplished in less time and stated that possibly a task force should be formed to find out what others in the community are doing. He explained that a sharing of information would prevent a reinvention of the wheel and speed up the results. Councilman Bender asked about the Notices of violation and whether they are public information. City Attorney Harper explained that the City does not release investigative information, however it is not the intent of the City to prosecute nuisance abatement, but rather to gain compliance. If any case in Nuisance Abatement gets to the public hearing process, then it is clearly public information. city Attorney Harper explained that with the cooperation of property owner the City can do all sorts of things that cannot be done otherwise. He cited an incident where the property owner gave the City permission to post the property with a sign that said that "This property was used for drug activity, and may not be used for drug activity". He explained that this may seem stupid, but the activity stopped and the people involved left since they do not want to be singled out. This action can only be done through the property owner. Councilman Bender stated that this is the type of solution that the City is looking for, but he does not want to see the problems shift to another area. abnnctiDlaill, IYIpe cDbJU~4a:s.hart:l:atandlhsonprolneDe omelfB:'.ea H~Jiiftaal!d34 79Y that the agencies in attendance can address one of the problems, but not the other problems and he stated that it would take a lot PAGE EIGHT - CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP - AUGUST 24, 1994 of communication to gain the results that are the goal of this group. He encouraged the use of the Citizens' Crime Watch ~rganization to keep an eye on the problems at hand and possibly 1ncorporate a computer data base to follow up on tenants. Councilman Pape stated that he would like to see the City work with the Courts and continue on with Code Enforcement. He further suggested a Design Review Committee to review the exterior of the buildings to bring some conformity to the area. Councilman Pape suggested that the property owners go into the field and do on-site inspections to help keep the people in check. Councilman Alongi expressed his disappointment over the lack of owners from Area "J" in attendance at this meeting. He stated that there are only two owners from Nashland and he pointed out that is the problem. He explained that no matter how the units are built, if there is no pride of ownership there is nothing. He stated that he would love to see a program on Nashland or in the Bird Tracts, but without the cooperation of the owner it will be a waste of money. Councilman Alongi explained that he has a problem with the trash and stated that it should be collected whether the units are paying or not. He further explained that the owner can be put in Nuisance Abatement and fined for the trash. He stated that he has several rental properties and it is not just the renter; if the owner does not take pride in his property it will not make a difference who lives there, it will be a problem. Councilman Alongi stated that there is a need for low income rental property, but it does not mean that there has to be the same type of problems. Mark piascik stated that better communication with the Sheriff's Department regarding the prospective tenants and their background would greatly assist the owners. Captain Yankee explained that he __ would find out what they could do. Mr. piascik explained there are also problems with response time from the Sheriff's Department. Mr. Richard Brown, citizens Crime Watch, commented on the problems that are on-going in Area "J". He explained that running them out of that neighborhood will only send them someplace else and will solve nothing. He stated that the citizens can take action to force the property owners to take action; by the citizens filing a lawsuit against them if they refuse to cooperate. Jim King, Gas Company, explained that the Gas Company is more than willing to cooperate with the City to assist with this situation. Mayor Washburn stated that there will be a follow-up with a draft of the concepts and ideas presented at this meeting, definition of the area and development of a program that will incorporate as much assistance as the City can get from all the agencies. He explained that at the next meeting it might be appropriate to break up into smaller groups and discover what type of service is available from each agency and then put together a short term and long term plan in place. City Manager Molendyk stated that there needs to be a cross section of the group that can come up with some specific recommendations and then a meeting can be scheduled to make the recommendations to the entire group. Mayor Washburn thanked all those in attendance. - - - - -- PAGE NINE - CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP - AUGUST 24, 1994 ADJOURNMENT THE CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP ED AT 10:36 A.M. 9[;: U VICKI nSAD, CITY 'CLERK