27 Meetings about Blight

by

by Charlie London

This was the 27th meeting since the city began inviting the public to attend the BlightStat meetings.

NOTES FROM THE NOVEMBER 17, 2011 BLIGHTSTAT MEETING ARE BELOW:

Mr. Oliver Wise began the meeting with introductions and announcements. Deputy Mayor Kopplin was unable to attend due to a meeting with the State Bond Commission in Baton Rouge. He was there to ask for and received permission to refinance the City’s debt by selling new bonds.

Mr. Hebert began the meeting with an overview of the Blight Strategy begun in August, 2010.

Process Improvements
– consolidated code enforcement – 5 offices to one

Created a data management system to improve outcomes and support strategy development for programs.

Established BlightStat to manage performance of blight strategy.

Prioritized Sheriff’s Sales as the primary tool for disposition of blighted properties.

Developed new programs targeting blighted properties and lots.

Increased collaboration with NORA to focus interventions strategically.

Sheriff sales are making a difference.

43,755 blight properties. 25,662 inspections
15,413 inquiries 5,326 hearings 1,743 lots cleared 687 properties brought in to compliance due to inspections. 3,214 blighted units eradicated in the first year.

Interdepartment collaboration. Revenue collection up 90%. $791,406 fines collected in 2009. $1,346,631 fines collected in 2011.

0 Sheriff sales in 2009 | 68 in 2010 | 1,002 in 2011

Revenue collected from lien foreclosures $648,610 in liens – zero before

154 properties demolished in 2009. 523 properties demolished in 2010. 1,349 properties demolished in 2011.

Clearing nuisance lots – zero in 2009 for lots cut
5 years no lots cut – huge backlog. Lots were cited previously but there was no program to cut lots.

873 cut in 2010 – New program started April, 2010.
During 2011, 359 lots were cut as part of the lot cutting program in the 9th Ward with an additional 917 lots cut throughout the city.

Executable Judgments
1200 executable.

22,000 housing code inspections.
Entire city covered.

Fight the Blight Initiative – 5th one coming up in Dec.

Partnerships – collaborating with neighborhoods and city agencies for greater impact.

Large scale apartment demolitions.

10341 Plainfield – great before and after photo.
Higgins Gate getting cleaned up in Algiers now.
Successful property auctions in Lakeview.

Eradication of 10,000 blighted properties is the goal. 3,214 done with 6,786 to go to meet goal. Even with the ambitious goal of eradicating 10,000 blighted properties within three years, there will be at least 30,000 more properties needing attention. It is a herculean task.

INSPECTIONS
Ms. Basco continued the meeting and noted that inspections continue with 668 done this bi-weekly period. Inspections backlog is increasing slightly due to a focus on hearings.

Mr. Wise commented that Code Enforcement has made remarkable progress since February.

Inspections process is smoother now that inspectors have been assigned districts. There are also people to replace them when someone is out which keeps the process moving.

Mr. Kray inquired about data on inspections by district and inspector. Ms. Basco indicated that would be a great thing to have.

Ms. Illarmo continued the meeting with a discussion of the hearings backlog which has been reduced by 421 cases this bi-weekly period. Ms. Illarmo and “Tammy” continue to work hard to keep cases moving. Ms. Illarmo has put in lots of nights and weekends.

Mr. Wise asked about the time period between inspections and when hearings are scheduled. That time can vary due to several variables. The goal is 30 days.

337 hearings done this bi-weekly period with 413 scheduled for the next two weeks. Highest ever!

20% compliance, 36% guilty judgments, resets down due to increased focus. There were 67% of cases reset in Nov 2010. That has been reduced to 13% this period. BlightStat meetings and community input drove this success.

Mr. Square indicated IBM pushed to have the BlightStat meetings reach a wider audience. He suggested information by neighborhoods be available to make the information more meaningful to individuals.

Ms. Basco indicated that is the goal to have information that is meaningful to individuals.
Mr. Bayas stressed the importance of having meaningful information for neighborhoods.

Quality of Life “STAT” meeting was brought up.
The program is still in development and is not currently open to the public.

Mr. Carrere continued the meeting. He indicated that there were 6 emergency demolitions over the last two weeks. They are working on demolition of a large complex near the high rise bridge on I-10 in New Orleans East. 111 properties in the pipeline but the contractor is current on the properties given to them.

Mr. Lessinger indicated that is why contractors and others are invited to BlightStat meetings to make sure everyone is aware of the importance of blight removal.

Eleven FEMA demolitions were done over the past two weeks. 101 properties salvaged to date.

INAP – Keith Ferrouillet said 20 lots were cut and 4 complied after warning.

Mr. Lessinger said there is a pilot program in the 9th Ward for cutting lots due to the large number of properties needing attention in that area. Mr. Hebert indicated that http://data.nola.gov has a map of lots being cut. Neighbors, ex-offenders, and re-entry folks are cutting the lots.

Mr. Hebert indicated his frustration with dumping. After lots are cleared of tall grass and debris, more dumping occurs.

Only 5 FEMA trailers still remain. They should be gone soon.

Ms. C.S. Lear indicated that the Sanitation Department has been working more in the 9th Ward.
Dumping continues to be a major problem. Inspecting tire shops for proper documentation continues to be the focus.

Tire dumping is a nation-wide problem. The Sanitation Department is getting info from many state and federal sources that indicated tires are a problem everywhere. A unique stamp for each tire shop is a possible solution.

Mr. Gray discussed the legal issues concerning properties going up at the Sheriff sales. He discussed the results and problems associated with Sheriff sales.

Sheriff Sales will take place December 6th and 15th then again January 10th, 19th and 26th and February 2nd, 2012.

Mr. Lessinger is going to receive a list of properties from Mr. Kray on all the properties that did not sell with a copy to Mr. Hebert.

Ms. Breaux indicated some of the owners are waiting for grant money from the state. The law department has met with several owners to stress the importance of repairing properties.

Mr. Bayas indicated that the PRC had a great training program for the Sheriff sales. The City is looking into a similar program.

Ms. Wilkerson indicated that many people bid on properties based on the community they are in. She suggested selling properties strategically by area.

Mr. Gray indicated over a million dollars has been collected so far this year due to the lien foreclosure process. Code Lien Foreclosures are listed at http://data.nola.gov

Ms. Wilkerson indicated 13 NORA/LLT closings happened. Rehab financing is sparce with no program to help people to rehabilitate homes.

There will be an auction in January for LLT/NORA properties. Hundreds of properties will be available.

Mr. Square said the City won a grant from Code for America. The City does not have a good way to retrieve batch information from individuals and neighborhoods. The grant will bring in smart folks (programmers) who can help resolve this problem.

The Code for America program will focus on solving tech problems for the City. Work should commence in January, 2012. More about Code for America at
http://codeforamerica.org/

Mr. Hebert indicated that city funds are limited so grants are a focus. The City of New Orleans beat out 20 other cities for the Code for America grant.

Mr. Square indicated IBM’s Smarter Cities report will be coming out soon with a set of recommendations that the City will have to figure out how to fund.

The Green Project has a contract to remove architectural details and other salvageable items from properties before they are demolished.

An “alternatives to demolition” meeting was held with all consulting parties for FEMA demolitions.

Mr. Square indicated a new computer system is a priority and is currently being reviewed. The new system should be up and running by October, 2012.

Questions from the audience were answered and the meeting adjourned.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE CITY’s
November 17, 2011 BlightStat Presentation

At the first BlightStat meeting, Mayor Landrieu spoke about the hearing process noting that, “Continuances should be the exception rather than the rule.”

There’s been much progress toward that end over the last year. New hearing officers have been hired, case managers have been assigned, and the case review process has been streamlined. All in an effort to get properties adjudicated and if necessary, moved to Sheriff’s sale. Read more about that first BlightStat meeting in the link below:
https://fsjna.org/2010/11/bi-weekly-blight-business/

You can review my reports on all of the previous BlightStat Meetings in the links below:
Blight Sweep in 9th Ward: https://fsjna.org/2010/11/blighted-beginnings/
BLIGHTSTAT ONE: https://fsjna.org/2010/11/bi-weekly-blight-business/
BLIGHTSTAT TWO:https://fsjna.org/2010/11/keeping-our-eyes-on-the-prize/
BLIGHTSTAT THREE: https://fsjna.org/2010/12/what-gets-measured-gets-managed/
BLIGHTSTAT FOUR: https://fsjna.org/2010/12/blight-busting/
2010 Year End Update: https://fsjna.org/2010/12/year-end-update-from-the-landrieu-administration/
BLIGHTSTAT FIVE: https://fsjna.org/2011/01/the-5th-dimension-of-blight/
BLIGHTSTAT SIX: https://fsjna.org/2011/01/a-sixth-sense-for-blight/
BLIGHTSTAT SEVEN: https://fsjna.org/2011/02/the-7-heavens-of-blight/
BLIGHTSTAT EIGHT: https://fsjna.org/2011/02/8-by-ya-mommas/
BLIGHTSTAT NINE: https://fsjna.org/2011/03/blightstat-9/
BLIGHTSTAT TEN: https://fsjna.org/2011/03/blightstat-10/
BLIGHTSTAT ELEVEN: https://fsjna.org/2011/04/blightstat-11/
BLIGHTSTAT TWELVE: https://fsjna.org/2011/04/blightstat-12/
Mayor’s State of the City Address: https://fsjna.org/2011/04/one-city-that-shares-one-fate/
BLIGHTSTAT THIRTEEN: https://fsjna.org/2011/05/blightstat-13/
BLIGHTSTAT FOURTEEN: https://fsjna.org/2011/05/blightstat-14/
BLIGHTSTAT FIFTEEN: https://fsjna.org/2011/06/blightstat-15/
CITY GETS REPORT CARD: https://fsjna.org/2011/06/city-gets-report-card/
BLIGHTSTAT SIXTEEN: https://fsjna.org/2011/06/blightstat-16/
BLIGHTSTAT SEVENTEEN: https://fsjna.org/2011/06/blightstat-17/
BLIGHTSTAT EIGHTEEN: https://fsjna.org/2011/07/blightstat-18
BLIGHTSTAT NINETEEN: https://fsjna.org/2011/07/blightstat-19/
BLIGHTSTAT TWENTY: https://fsjna.org/2011/08/blightstat-20/
BLIGHTSTAT TWENTY-ONE: https://fsjna.org/2011/08/blightstat-turns-21/
BLIGHTSTAT TWENTY-TWO: https://fsjna.org/2011/09/blightstat-22/
BLIGHTSTAT TWENTY-THREE: https://fsjna.org/2011/09/blightstat-23/
FIGHT BLIGHT RIGHT: https://fsjna.org/2011/09/fight-blight-right/
BLIGHTSTAT TWENTY-FOUR: https://fsjna.org/2011/10/blightstat-24/
CITIZENS PARTICIPATE: https://fsjna.org/2011/10/citizens-participate-in-new-orleans/
BLIGHTSTAT TWENTY-FIVE: https://fsjna.org/2011/10/blightstat-25/
BLIGHTSTAT TWENTY-SIX: https://fsjna.org/2011/11/blightstat-turns-one

BlightStat 19

by

by Charlie London

This was the nineteenth BlightStat meeting where the public was invited to attend.

The City continues to march toward its goal of eradicating 10,000 blighted properties within three years. City departments that can help with this process meet every two weeks for a “BlightStat” meeting.

Goals have been set for each department and a presentation is made at each meeting to show how each department is doing toward meeting those goals.

Please click here for a PDF of the City’s
July 28, 2011 BlightStat presentation.

BELOW ARE NOTES FROM THE July 28th BLIGHTSTAT MEETING

Mr. Oliver Wise, Director of the Office of Performance and Accountability began the meeting. About 35 people were in the audience. Many of those people were city employees.

Mr. Carrere with Code Enforcement was the first to give a report. Mr. Carrere discussed the progress of demolitions. Twenty-three cases are currently being processed and have received all necessary approvals. Mr. Andy Kopplin asked about delays in the process and inquired as to whether barriers to progress had been eliminated. Mr. Carrere and Ms. Breaux made it clear that barriers to progress have been removed on their end.

SHPO continues to slow the demolition process. Mr. Carrere discussed that archeological reports are now required by SHPO for some properties. Mr. Carrere indicated this was something they did not have in the past. Mr. Jeff Hebert asked if this involved Indian issues. Mr. Carrere indicated that it had more to do with analyzing old bottles found in the ground.

Mr. Dean Wolcott continued the meeting with a discussion of FEMA activities. Twenty percent of FEMA sponsored demolition cases have to be returned for further review. Seventeen FEMA sponsored demolitions are ready to go. Hundreds of properties are “in the pipeline”. Mr Wolcott indicated he does not see the bottleneck being fixed in the near future. Historic review of properties appears to be the biggest delay in the process. All 458 FEMA sponsored demolitions have been inspected. About 150 are currently going to hearings. The balance should be done by the end of September.

Ms. Joyce Wilkerson continued the meeting with a discussion of NORA demolitions. Some are tied up in multi-family building issues (townhouses). The process, while slow, continues to progress. Ms. Wilkerson mentioned that many NORA properties are going to the Sheriff’s sale. Mr. Kopplin asked for more information on the properties going into the demolition “que”. Mr. Carrere indicated that many times there are one or two units in a multi-unit building where the owners have fixed their unit. The problem is that prevents taking down the rest of the blighted building. The city is looking into relocation for those who have fixed their units in an majority blighted multi-unit building.

Ms Kristin Illarmo discussed the final FEMA trailer hearings indicating the remaining 31 FEMA trailers should be removed in the coming months.

Ms. Cynthia Sylvain-Lear discussed tire removal and clearing of dumping sites. Quality of Life Officers throughout the city are reporting tire dumping and lots where dumping is taking place. One arrest was made recently when a Quality of Life Officer caught a man dumping tires. Twenty thousand tires have been picked up by the Sanitation Department during the last year.

Mr. Miles Granderson discussed files being readied for Sheriff Sale. The Case Managers are doing a better job of getting the files ready. Mr. Granderson expects a “high yield” from the files being readied since March of this year. Files are mainly rejected for errors in “noticing”. Mr. Granderson explained that there can be many reasons. Mr. Kopplin suggested that if ninety percent of the properties are not making it through the process that there may be issues that need to be addressed. Mr. Granderson indicated that he and Tyler are on this project full time now and are working with Ms. Illarmo in Code Enforcement to move the process forward. Mr. Kopplin asked for reports on how well the law department is doing with getting blighted properties moving.

Mr. Granderson continued by indicating Mr. Peter Rizzo manages Sheriff’s Sales. Mr. Rizzo said that a separate information sheet is being made for curators outlining their responsibilities as managers of properties getting ready to go to Sheriff’s Sale. Mr. Granderson keeps up with the curators to make sure they are completing their work timely.

Mr. Kopplin asked that a list be kept of those who do not complete their work timely. That list may be reviewed at the BlightStat meetings. Judges appoint the curators and the curators are often friends and associates of the judges. Mr. Kopplin wants 1,000 properties seized and the issues resolved by the end of the year.

Ms. Wilkerson continued the meeting with a discussion of NORA closings. Total NORA closings to date are above target. She indicated NORA is under pressure to spend their NSP2 money. The goal is to have 1,000 NORA closings by the end of the year. Ms. Wilkerson indicated there is an issue with some properties falling out of the process between purchase agreement and closing. Ms. Wilkerson continues to work diligently to move NORA properties through the pipeline.

The gentleman from LLT discussed the cost versus benefit concerning rehabilitation of blighted properties stating, “there is not a property in the city that can’t be rehabilitated if enough money is available”. Mr. Kopplin discussed “pushing more on the auctions”. Ms. Wilkerson indicated that once the redevelopment tools are out there that more properties will move. Mr. Hebert indicated that both the State and the City have little money or resources available now and into the future for LLT to continue the process. LLT has a five year budget of 216 million dollars. Mr. Kopplin indicated that there are thousands of Option 1 Road Home recipients who have not met their obligations. Mr. Kopplin indicated that the LLT is running out of money. Mr. Kopplin indicated that using FEMA money is a priority now which is why Mr. Wolcott’s bi-weekly report is so important. The representative from LLT indicated he would like to work with Mr. Wolcott.

Mr. Carrere continued the meeting with a report on inspections. He indicated that inspections are down a bit due to the “summertime lull”. It should be noted that the Code Enforcement Department has consistently exceeded its goals each bi-weekly period throughout the past year.

Mr. Wise indicated that the inspection backlog is an issue that needs to be resolved indicating that there is no excuse for the inspection backlog to continue.

Mr. Square indicated that his department continues to work on the problems with the computer system. Ms. Illarmo indicated that there are two computers in the building that Code Enforcement goes downstairs to use because they are “lightning fast”.

Mr. Wise reviewed the completed inspections slide. Mr. Hebert indicated that the map is a useful and important tool. He indicated that it “make us a lot smarter, letting us know where we’ve been”.

Mr. Hebert indicated that neighborhood organizations provide useful information. Mr. Kopplin indicated that use of neighborhood organizations to check out areas might be a good idea.

Mr. Kopplin continues to take control of the BlightStat meetings indicating that performance objectives will be met.

Ms. Ilarmo and Mr. Granderson reviewed information previously discussed as the just arrived TV camera from Fox 8 News rolled.

Mr. Kopplin mentioned that city attorneys have done some work on a couple of Saturdays to help move the process along. He also mentioned that the mayor had asked the bar association for assistance from members to help with the backlog of cases for adjudication hearings.

Ms. Illarmo indicated 142 blight court cases are set for August. 156 are set for September. She indicated compliance remains steady at twenty six percent. Mr. Kopplin indicated that Code Enforcement has already met its yearly goal for inspections.

Ms. Illarmo indicated that the unscheduled hearings backlog remains a problem but Code Enforcement is developing a good stockpile of cases ready to go to hearings. She indicated some of the staffing issues have been resolved and Code Enforcement is getting better able to move forward more efficiently.

Mr. Hebert continued with questions from the audience. Algiers Point has a number of old cases not yet up for Sheriff sale. Mr. Hebert asked Ms. Illarmo to look into this issue. Mr. Granderson indicated that soon there will be no 2008 or 2009 cases in the backlog.

In the past, the City did not always follow all of the steps to get properties properly adjudicated. That situation has been remediated.

Question from the audience…
How long does it take to get a curator assigned to a case?
Resident indicated that inspections get done but curators don’t get assigned. Mr. Granderson indicated that a curator is only assigned after a property comes up for Sheriff’s Sale.

Mr. Kopplin indicated that the property has not yet gone to Sheriff Sale but the process is well on its way.

Meeting adjourned.


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BLIGHTSTAT MEETING (every 2 weeks)
WHO: Key blight policy and code enforcement staff

WHEN: Thursday, August 11, 2011
8:00-9:30 AM CST

WHERE: 1340 Poydras Street
9TH Floor—City Planning Conference Room
New Orleans, LA 70117

BlightStat Meetings
Nov 4, 2010 | Nov 18, 2010 | Dec 2, 2010 | Dec 16, 2010
| Jan 13, 2011 | Jan 27, 2011 | Feb 10, 2011 | Feb 24, 2011 |
Mar 10, 2011 | March 29, 2011 | April 7, 2011 | April 21, 2011 | May 5, 2011 | May 19, 2011| | June 2, 2011 | June 16, 2011 | June 30, 2011 | July 14, 2011 | July 28, 2011