jeff hebert

BlightStat 37

September 13, 2012 by Charlie London

by Charlie London

The Landrieu administration currently has a goal
of removing 10,000 “units” of blight in 4 years.
Units are individual apartments/condos or lots with blight.

Much of the precipitous drop in blight since 2005 has been individual homeowners refurbishing their homes. The City has instituted a much lauded BlightStat program that has done a tremendous job with few resources.

And, there is where the problem is… few resources. When crime is rampant, infrastructure is crumbling and the city struggles to keep the streetlights working, should blighted properties be a main emphasis where significant resources are allocated?

If so, are you willing to pay more taxes to make that happen? I am. I’d like to suggest a specific blight tax be implemented to help get blight removed from New Orleans. And, with that increased tax, I’d like to see an ordinance passed that says something like, “any property blighted since 2005 will have action taken on it by the City of New Orleans, regardless.” This would include blighted property that has people living in it. Why? Because 7 years is long enough for anyone to decide what to do with their property. Blight is holding back New Orleans. Blight contributes to crime and scares off potential investors… those investors bring jobs.

While the the city’s goal of removing 10,000 blighted properties in 4 years is laudable, the chart above shows over 35,000 properties that still need attention. You do the math.
10,000 blighted properties removed in 4 years. 35,000 total…

That means it will be 15 to 20 years before the CURRENT inventory of blighted properties is removed. Meanwhile, future hurricanes and irresponsible owners will contribute further to the number of blighted properties in New Orleans.

So, do we ignore the problem and complain that the city isn’t doing enough or do we step up and demand that a Blight tax be implemented and that it be spent specifically on blight reduction?

And, how ’bout an ordinance that makes it easier for the city to rid New Orleans of blight? Is it fair for the responsible citizen to live next to blight just because? How long should the irresponsible owner be given to do something about their blighted property… 7, 10, 20 years?
I don’t think so.

Quite frankly, the city is doing the best they can with what they’ve got. Unfortunately, there just isn’t enough manpower to get the job done… specifically on the legal end. Click here to read my thoughts about this in a previous BlightStat report. The city can get the properties inspected timely but the adjudication process is slow and laborious. Yes, we should protect the owner’s property rights. But, how long should property owners be allowed to affect your quality of life… 7, 10, 20 years? I don’t think so.

In the link below please find the city’s latest presentation on blight reduction in New Orleans:

A PDF of the City’s September 13, 2012 BLIGHTSTAT presentation.

Click on the chart above or visit the link below to view the Greater New Orleans Data Center’ report on the progress of the BLIGHT fight in New Orleans:

The Greater New Orleans Data Center’s Report on Blight in New Orleans.

BlightStat 36

August 9, 2012 by Charlie London

photos and article by Charlie London

BlightStat 36 | August 9, 2012

Mr. Oliver Wise, Director of the Office of Performance and Accountability, began the meeting with introductions and announcements. No meeting last month due to the implementation of the new city computer system known as LAMA(Land Management). Cameras from MSNBC were rolling. This was the 36th meeting to which the public was invited.

Dr. Allison Plyer of the Greater New Orleans Community Data Center gave a presentation on growth in New Orleans neighborhoods.

Between 2010 and 2011, both Census population estimates and U.S. Postal Service households receiving mail grew by roughly 5 percent. From 2011 to 2012, U.S. Postal Service households grew another 2.5 percent.

Dr. Plyer indicated the New Orleans metro economy has weathered the recession relatively well. As jobs increase so will the number of people returning to the city. Among all metro area parishes, Orleans experienced the largest gain in households receiving mail over the last year.

Fully 66 out of 72 New Orleans neighborhoods gained active residential addresses since 2010. About half of all neighborhoods have recovered over 90 percent of their households since the Federal Flood. The gain of more than 12,300 active residential addresses receiving mail since 2010 may indicate that a large number of homes have been renovated and re-occupied over the last 2 years.

Mr. Andy Kopplin asked about how the numbers presented relate to blight. Dr. Plyer indicated that the numbers indicate that houses are getting rehabilitated. She indicated that her general theory is that stronger code enforcement has given people incentive to rehabilitate their property.

blightstat-crowd2012aug9 — It was a full house for BlightStat 36!

A question from the audience indicated that blighted commercial properties are not being addressed so that services such as grocery stores can replace those blighted commercial properties.

Mr. Kopplin and Mr. Hebert focused on the city’s efforts at removing large apartment complexes. Mr. Kopplin said the city’s legal team is working to get blighted strip malls removed or rehabilitated so that services can be provided to the returning populace.

lama-implementation2012aug9 — Jen Cecil introduces the new computer system for the City of New Orleans.

125 users were trained on the new LAMA software. The input from these users was used to tweak the software to make it even more user friendly.

Website content will be revamped. Permits and code enforcement cases will be easier to find. City departments are being interconnected. Website content is the main focus with an emphasis on easy to find comprehensive information.

The return on investment will be recouped within 3 years. Accela cost the city $300,000 per year. The LAMA system will cost about $70,000 per year and will be more efficient which will produce even more cost savings over time.

Ms. Pura Bascos sang the praises of the new system because it helps Code Enforcement find addresses for properties that do not have an address.

The LAMA system will go “live” on the public website sometime in September, 2012.

Mr. Allen Square indicated that the 311 system will eventually be integrated into the LAMA system.

The assessor is also being integrated into the LAMA system.

The LAMA number given at the time of a 311 call will be used by all departments accessing the system. So, a citizen that calls 311 can follow the process with the same number all the way up to the blight eradication hearing.

http://data.nola.gov will have a plethora of information available to the public starting in September, 2012.

Ms. Pura Bascos continued the meeting with a discussion of inspections. Inspections this period were not up the the usual high number. Vacations and computer system training slowed productivity somewhat. Fewer hearings were scheduled due to the implementation of the LAMA system.

Ms. Bascos introduced John Hagan who will be concentrating on title abstracts.

Mr. Carrere indicated that demolitions exceeded targeted expectations for this reporting period. He said the contractors are running out of buildings to demolish due to the entire process slowing down due to the implementation of the city’s new LAMA computer system.

The Bayou St. John property cost the property owner $150,000 to demolish the property. Consistent action from the city got the property demolished. The city’s enforcement of laws gave the owner the needed incentive to demolish the property.

There were 21 FEMA demolitions which consisted of 40 units. There are approximately 50 demolitions to go consisting of 160 units. The city has requested thousands more properties to be demolished by FEMA. Due to the many disasters that have happened recently around the country, the amount of money available is dwindling.

Mr. Wise indicated that 414 properties that were threatened with demolition were rehabilitated. Mr. Wise indicated that there is a 2 to 1 ratio of compliance over non-compliance due to the city’s actions.

Mr. Hebert indicated the city is now paying 25 dollars per lot for routine grass cutting and 175 dollars for lots that have extremely high grass.

Mr. Granderson indicated that the backlog has been eliminated. Fifty-three files were accepted for foreclosure proceedings during this reporting period.

There was some group discussion over the time it takes to get properties adjudicated. The process can take up to 90 days. Demolitions and writs are the slow end of the system.

Mr. Kopplin suggested sending a letter immediately after properties are adjudicated that the city can and will demolish and/or take the property away from owners who refuse to comply.

Mr. David Lessinger reviewed the NORA inventory disposition. 136 units have been rehabilitated or renovated. 245 newly constructed units have been completed.

Noraworks.org has properties for sale online. Citizens can indicate interest on specific properties. This is for serious inquiries only.

Mr. Brian Lawlor of the Office of Community Development indicated that they are working aggressively with non-profits to hold them accountable for the properties given to them.

Mr. Lawlor indicated the Soft Second Program is really making a difference. This program gets first-time home buyers out of rentals and into their own homes. Once applicants have been certified through the lender the process moves along swiftly.

Questions were taken from the audience.
Thirteen inspectors are currently working in zones throughout the city. Code for America is working on a program that will show what city action has been performed on any property on a given street.

Mr. Wise said hearings, historically, have taken a while because hearing managers had poor information. The new LAMA computer system is supposed to alleviate a lot of that problem.

A new lawyer has been hired to look at Chapter 26 and 28 as well as occupied blighted properties.

Call 311 for information about properties or call the Code Enforcement office directly at 658-4346 or go to data.nola.gov
Mr. Kopplin indicated that 311 is the best avenue to acquire information about blighted properties.

American Factfinder is the website for the U.S. Census.

Click here for a PDF of the city’s presentation at the August 9, 2012 BLIGHTSTAT meeting.

The next BlightStat meeting will take place Thursday, September 13th at 8 a.m. in the Homeland Security meeting room on the 8th floor of City Hall.

BlightStat 34

May 10, 2012 by Charlie London

photo and article by Charlie London

The City’s SERVENOLA office will soon be providing a list of volunteer opportunities where you can make a significant difference toward winning the fight against blight. These aren’t cleanup days or media opportunities but real jobs where volunteers can make a difference. Why volunteers? Because the city literally does not have the money to hire more people without raising your taxes.

Click on the graphics below for a larger view

If you live next to a blighted building or an overgrown lot in New Orleans your perception of the fight against blight may not be positive.

But, when you consider that the City of New Orleans’ BlightStat program has received acclaim both nationally and internationally, that may mitigate your frustration a bit.

And, when you consider that Chicago and Philadelphia with tax bases and therefore resources exponentially larger than New Orleans have the same problems curbing blight that may help your mood as well. Chicago, Philadelphia and other cities both large and small are looking to the City of New Orleans in the fight against blight. The City of New Orleans’ perspicacity and initiatives have positioned our city as the clear leader in the fight against blight.

However, if your neighborhood is still suffering from the effects of Hurricane Katrina with blighted housing and overgrown lots in abundance, all those accolades are meaningless. You just want the problem to go away.

I’ve been to all 34 BlightStat meetings since November, 2010 and I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt that the people at the table in these BlightStat meetings are passionate and purposeful in their desire to have New Orleans continue to grow, prosper and be blight-free.

So, what’s the hold up then? Here’s what I have observed:
There does not appear to be any problem getting properties inspected. In fact, the inspectors have all been assigned to specific districts within the city and are even more efficient than before. Inspections are not the problem.

Cases are being adjudicated as fast as they come in but resets and guilty with conditions have slowed the process somewhat. The City is moving toward more straight out guilty judgments which is reasonable considering owners of blighted property have had 7 years to get their act together. The adjudication process is part of the problem because case management has struggled to keep up with the volume of material coming in from inspectors, and older inspections get stale (hence the reinspections).

Miles Granderson and Tyler Gray are highly competent, motivated and passionate lawyers that are dedicated to finding heirs to dead owners and previous owners that won’t pay taxes or do anything with their property. That takes time. You would be amazed at just how much time that takes.

THERE ARE ONLY 2, yes I said 2 lawyers to do the actual research in order to file writs on thousands of cases.

The goal of these 2 dedicated lawyers is to get 65 cases completely researched and ready for adjudication each month. I dare say a highly staffed private firm would have trouble doing the same considering the amount of research and fact checking that is required to produce a writ.

So, what’s the answer you ask? You, my friend are the answer. If you can help enter information or are a paralegal that can volunteer a few hours each week your service would go a long way toward moving our city forward. At 65 cases each month, we’ll all be dead and gone before the thousands of properties that need it get adjudicated.

So, what’s it going to be? Are you going to be that bitter resident that sits around and grumbles that nothing is happening with blight in your neighborhood? Or, are you going to be that person that gets off the sofa and does something about it? I suggest the latter option will make you a much happier citizen.

The City’s SERVENOLA office will soon be providing a list of volunteer opportunities where you can make a significant difference toward winning the fight against blight. These aren’t cleanup days or media opportunities but real jobs where volunteers can make a difference. Why volunteers? Because the city literally does not have the money to hire more people without raising your taxes.

“But, that’s what I pay taxes for”, you say. That’s right. But, the problem is we have a city built for 600,000 people but only have a population of 343,000. Of that 343,000 only a comparatively small percentage pay property taxes. That is the real problem. There just isn’t enough money to make the things you want to happen… happen. I strongly urge you to consider helping the city help you. Call the city’s law department at 658-9800 to find out how you can help the city help you.

Click here to view a PDF of the full presentation of the 34th BlightStat meeting held on May 10, 2012

This was the 34th BlightStat meeting to which the public was invited.

It is clear that enforcement of laws related to blighted properties will be more aggressive in 2012. The Mayor’s directive to have 10,000 blighted properties eradicated in three years remains on track.

BlightStat 35 will be held on June 14, 2012. The meetings are on the 8th floor of City Hall in the Homeland Security Conference Room.

Below are notes from the May 10, 2011 BlightStat meeting:

BlightStat 34 | May 10, 2012

Mr. Oliver Wise, Director of the Office of Performance and Accountability, began the meeting with introductions.

Mr. Justin Kray was first up with a review of “a look across 2011-2012”. A better mix of judgments, hearings and inspections than before the BlightStat process started. Mr. Kray also works in the Office of Performance & Accountability and is the man who has a lot of technical expertise. One of his duties is to prepare the BlightStat presentation which you can click on below.

Ms. Pura Bascos, Director of Code Enforcement/Safety & Permits, reviewed the “Inspections by Type and Result” slide. Of 377 inspections 66 complied.

Ms. Bascos indicated that more owners are bringing their properties into compliance.

Rules for recording the judgment is the result of the Mennonite case.
You can see a summary of the Mennonite case further along in this post.

Mr. Kray indicated the average time between when an inspection is requested and it is completed is 15 days.

Mr. Wise indicated the “Posting of Judgments” was the most important. Currently the average time is 50 days.

Mr. Andy Kopplin, CAO, indicated that once the backlog is eliminated the numbers will become more positive.

Mr. Kopplin indicated that the graphs show steady work but could be misleading to those that believe faster is better. There are conditions and requirements that have time limitations. Departments are currently working at maximum capacity.

Accela continues to be a thorn in the side of progress. The City is currently working to change the computer system to one that better serves its purpose.

Ms. Bascos indicated that inspection sweeps are becoming unnecessary because inspectors have been assigned to specific districts.

Mr. Hillarie Carrere noted that large apartment complexes may have 300 units but the complex is counted as one.

Ms. Bascos indicated that inspections have been done in every neighborhood in New Orleans.

Mr. Kopplin inquired about files that don’t meet the standards for noticing etc., the files then go back and go through the process again.
This is being done.

Ms. Kristin Illarmo indicated that one month a lot of research is done then the next month a bunch of hearings are done. So the graph will go way up and down. To get a better flow, work has been reassigned so that steady improvement is the result.

Mr. Wise inquired about a large spike on the graph. Ms. Illarmo indicated that was when a huge backlog was eliminated but that it was not a number that could be sustained because of the amount of research required on each property.

One team will do research while the other does hearings to keep the workflow consistent. Ms. Illarmo indicated that they are required to go to the notarial archives to research properties as part of the process. This takes time. Real Estate records are on the 5th floor of City Hall.

Ms. Denise Ross indicated that the real estate records need to be digitized. Currently the records are only available to the public and city employees for two hours each day. Mr. Kopplin indicated that it is a priority that city employees be allowed to research properties more than two hours each day.

Ms. Illarmo indicated the inspectors and case managers are working together and getting better results.

Mr. Kopplin congratulated the inspectors for getting re-inspections done more timely.

Mr. Wise indicated that due to a problem with Accela, inspections were done but were not necessarily entered into the workflow process. The Accela system will be replaced eventually.

Mr. Kopplin indicated that if lack of resources is a barrier to progress then Ms. Illarmo and he should discuss. Apparently that is a problem along with Accela not showing cases in the system properly. Ms. Illarmo indicated she currently has two vacancies in her department. Mr. Kopplin indicated, “let’s get it done”.

Mr. Kray gave praise to Ms. Illarmo for her diligent work. She provides a lot of data to the Office of Performance and Accountability which makes the tracking of data and the production of graphs possible.

Mr. Carrere indicated that strategic demolitions will be down due to noticing and other issues. Ms. Bascos indicated many of the strategic demos are being pushed to Sheriff Sale.

Ms. Kopplin indicated that lack of a clear owner obstructs the process in many cases and can add as much as 6 months to the life of the case. If no one buys it once it gets to the Sheriff Sale then it goes to a Sheriff Sale again. Each property going to Sheriff Sale costs the city 1,500 dollars.

Post-judgment Supervisor Review is the part of the process where it is determined whether a property will be demolished or go to Sheriff Sale as is.

Ms. Brenda Breaux indicated that a data sharing agreement is in the works which will help move things along.

Mr. Kopplin indicated that a request to FEMA has been made to get more Katrina-damaged properties into the demolition pipeline.

FEMA rep – funding ends for the demo program ends June 30th. An extension has been applied for.
INAP contracts expired in mid-March. Ms. Bascos indicated that other resources are being investigated. Paperwork for new contracts to get lots cut have been submitted. Ms. Bascos indicated that she is requesting a pool of contractors to eliminate the problem of one contractor having broken equipment and being unable to complete the project.

Mr. Kopplin stressed the importance of getting the lots cut in the 9th Ward. Ms. Bascos indicated she is the one responsible. Mr. Kopplin indicated he would like to continue the process of getting local people to cut the lots.

Mike of NORA indicated demolishing multi-family units is a problem.
The city has identified 300 slabs from the land trust that will be removed said Mike….

Mr. Miles Granderson reviewed the foreclosure proceedings slide. He indicated that Accela is also a barrier to progress for the foreclosure process. The Accela system will eventually be replaced.

Mr. Granderson indicated that “noticing issues” prevented 8 cases from moving forward. The original goal was 1,000 cases per year but has been reduced to 750 because Mr. Granderson and Mr. Gray are the only two lawyers researching properties and “noticing” owners.

Civilsherrif.com has the Sheriff Sales listed.

Mr. Granderson indicated that proceeds from sales were down because there were no large sale days in April.

Mr. David Lessinger of NORA discussed property inventory disposition. NORA is taking on a bigger role in getting properties transferred.

Mr. Brian Lawlor, Director of the Office of Community Development, indicted the Supernova process is up and running. Rent-to-own program has training for potential home owners. Banks have been responsive to the process.

A few interesting points from BlightStat 33 are below:

Ms. Pura Bascos and Ms. Kristin Illarmo both noted that the city is allowing fewer conditional guilty judgements at the blight adjudication hearings. This is a clear message to blighted property owners that the city has given them plenty of time to get their act together. After 7 years, the city like its residents, is tired of the excuses. Fix your property or sell your property. Don’t like those options? Then the city will take action to protect their interests.

The Law Department appears to be efficient and diligent in their fight against blight. But, with only 2 lawyers to get cases ready for blight court, the situation could be compared to 2 knights swinging swords at the bottom of a well. They may eventually get to the top but it’s going to take a long long time.

Ms. Breaux mentioned that there are only 2 lawyers working on filing writs for code lien foreclosure process (Mr. Tyler Gray & Mr. Miles Granderson).The New Orleans Bar Association has been contacted for lawyers willing to perform pro bono work. Big law firms have been contacted to see if they would be willing to provide a paralegal to help. The Board of Ethics approved the city’s request to ask the public for help. Ms. Brenda Breaux plainly stated that the 2 lawyers working on research are simply overloaded with cases to work on.

Mr. David Lessinger with NORA indicated that a steady consistent stream of information is the goal.

Mr. Jeff Hebert, Director of NORA, indicated that “noticing” issues are the biggest problem nationwide. “Noticing” means notifying the owners or heir of owners that the city is about to take action on their property.

Mr. Wise noted that when the lawyers refer to the “mennonite case” they are referring to Mennonite Board of Missions vs. Adams. A summary of that case is below:
***
Summary of Mennonite Board of Missions v. Adams,
462 U.S. 791 (1983).
Facts

Alfred Jean Moore had executed a mortgage in favor of the Mennonite Board of Missions (P) to secure an obligation. Moore had purchased land from the Mennonite Board of Missions and was responsible for paying taxes. The Board was not aware that Moore had failed to pay taxes. The county moved to sell the property for lack of tax payment.

The county provided proper service according to state law. Notice was posted in the courthouse, the state published an announcement, and sent Moore a certified letter. The Board was not otherwise informed of the county’s efforts to sell the property. The land was later sold to Adams (D). Neither Moore nor the Board attended the sale. Moore continued to pay her obligation to the Board which remained unaware that the land had been sold.

Procedural History
Adams filed for quiet title and summary judgment. The Board contended that it still held title to the land because the tax sale was invalid due to inadequate service of process. The trial court found in favor of Adams and upheld the tax sale statute against the service challenge. Judgment in favor of Adams was affirmed on appeal to the court of appeals and the Supreme Court granted certiorari.
Issue

Is notice by publication and posting sufficient to provide a mortgagee of real property with adequate notice of a proceeding to sell the mortgaged property for nonpayment of taxes?

Holding and Rule (Marshall)

No. A mortgagee whose mortgage would be divested by a tax sale is entitled to personal service of notice of sale by virtue of the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

The constitution demands that a party receive notice through mail or other means that will ensure actual notice of a proceeding which will adversely affect the interests of any party, provided it is reasonably possible to ascertain the party’s name and address.

The Supreme Court in Mullane v. Central Hanover Bank & Trust Co. held that due process demands that notice must be reasonably calculated to inform interested parties of the pendency of the action and afford an opportunity to present their objections. A mortgagee has a protected property interest and is entitled to notice that is reasonably calculated to apprise of a pending tax sale.

Unless a mortgagee is not reasonably identifiable constructive notice alone is not sufficient. Constructive notice is primarily designed to attract prospective buyers and is unlikely to reach those who do not make special efforts to seek tax sales. Notice to a the property owner who is not in privity with creditors and who has failed to retain the property cannot be surmised provide actual notice to the mortgagee. The use of less reliable forms of notice is not sufficient when an inexpensive and efficient means such as mail is available.
Disposition

Judgment reversed.
Dissent (O’Connor)

Process needs to be tailored to a given situation and circumstances. With the majority holding in this case, the court has set a low-bar standard for process. Notice by mail or other means to establish certain notice is a now a minimum constitutional requirement for any legally protected property interest.

The majority is rejecting earlier cases in which this Court acknowledged the impossibility of establishing a rigid formula as to the kind of notice that must be given, and that “notice will vary with the circumstances and conditions”. Policy considerations of the state override those of process. Due process does not require that the State save a party from its own lack of care when it has acted unreasonably in failing to protect its interests.
***

Mr. Kopplin noted that Chicago and Philadelphia also have significant blight problems. They are much bigger cities but are looking to New Orleans for clues on how to fight blight.

Mr. Lessinger further stated that the largest number of properties are disposed of through the lot-next-door program. The Louisiana Land Trust is working with the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority to get properties closed out.

Mr. Brian Lawlor (Office of Community Development) said that an announcement will be made soon about the availability of 7 or 8 million dollars for rehabilitation and renewal of rental properties. The soft-second program is very successful. Mr. Lawler said to look for an announcement about the “SUPERNOVA” program soon.

Mr. Kopplin said the overall goal is to get people to do what they are supposed to do.

Mr. Hebert answered my question about Federal Government involvement (other that FEMA). He indicated that the Federal department of Housing and Urban Development has helped fund the blight eradication process and that the Justice Department is here helping because blight contributes to crime.

BlightStat 32 for You

March 8, 2012 by Charlie London

by Charlie London
This was the 32nd BlightStat meeting to which the public was invited.

BlightStat 32 | March 8, 2012

Mr. Oliver Wise began the meeting by introducing Mr. Anthony Faciane as the new Director of Neighborhood Development.

Mr. Jeff Hebert is now the Executive Director of the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority. Mr. David Lessinger now also works with Mr. Hebert at NORA.

Lestin Morgan is now with the Office of Performance and Accountability.

Mr. Wise announced that 1,000 hits were received on information about BlightStat. Slideshows of BlightStat presentations are now appearing on the city’s website.

Kirsten Melberg has been hired to work with the NORA team.

Ms. Pura Bascos began the meeting by reviewing the “Inspections by Type and Result” indicating she was satisfied with the numbers.

Mr. Wise followed up by noting the continued emphasis on compliance.

Ms. Bascos moved on to the “Timeliness of Inspections” slide indicating that continued focus is being maintained on getting inspections done.

Mr. Wise asked, “How do you know what to prioritize?”

Mr. Reid replied that sweeps are part of the process.

Mr. Square indicated that the “Service Level Agreement” notation on the slide should be rephrased as “target” because SLA indicates a guarantee.

Mr. Winston Reid indicated the Hollygrove area has a large concentration of blight. The City is focusing on this area now.

Ms. Illarmo review the “Timeliness of Hearings Process” slide. She indicated that Mardi Gras did not have much of an effect on results.
Mr. Wise inquired if there are any problems getting hearings done.
Ms. Illarmo indicated that research continues to be a challenge but the job is getting done.

Mr. Wise inquired about using Bar Association lawyers for hearings. Ms. Breaux indicated she will be meeting with them soon.

Ms. Illarmo reviewed the “Distribution of Hearings Outcomes” slide.
Mr. Kopplin indicated that was a nice slide.

Mr. Kray indicated he is always trying to make the presentation more clear.

Mr. Wise indicated that there are plenty of “cats and dogs” that still need to be addressed. He was referring to the backlog of hearings.

A discussion ensued about the clarity of slides that present similar but not identical information. Mr. Kopplin indicated the presentation is designed to get folks to remain focused.

Ms. Bascos indicated work continues on all cases. Mr. Reid explained the inspections process. Mr. Kopplin indicated the goal is to get faster.

He continued by noting that previously the focus was on how many. Now the focus is on how quickly inspections and hearings get done.

Mr. Wise indicated that more and more home owners are choosing to get their properties in compliance which indicates the city’s efforts may be working.

Mr. Kray indicated an upcoming hearings calendar is now available at www.data.nola.gov

Mr. Illarmo indicated the calendar will be updated every two weeks on Friday. Mr. Kopplin said, “this is incredibly exciting”.

Ms. Bascos reviewed the “Demolitions by Program” slide.
Ms. Bascos said demolitions were completed in the Gentilly area.

Mr. Will McGowan, FEMA representative, indicated that Cindy Place in New Orleans East, which has been an eyesore next to I-10 for some time, has been removed. Eighteen properties have been salvaged with the architectural elements donated to area non-profits.

Mr. Keith Ferrouillet of the Interim Nuisance Abatement Program reviewed the “lots cut” slide. Mr. Brian Lawlor indicated the “one cut” rule could be circumvented by how the cuts are classified.

Mr. David Lessinger of NORA said a pot of money has been dedicated to cutting lots in the lower 9th Ward. He said most of the lots have been cut now. Over 1200 lots have been cut through February, 2012.

Mr. Lessinger wants this to be a jobs program in addition to removing blight. Mr. Hebert indicated that there are lots needing attention next to properties that have new construction taking place.

Mr. Kopplin said the Quality of Life officers are indicating the “hot spots” of crime activity. He said those areas should be targeted for cleanup from a crime fighting perspective.

All FEMA trailers have been removed. Mr. Kopplin said an article about all the FEMA trailers being removed appeared in the Los Angeles Times but not in the local paper.

Mr. Brian Lawlor indicated that Phoenix of New Orleans is helping the last FEMA trailer resident to find a new place to stay.

Mr. Granderson said 63 of 116 files have been accepted for foreclosure. Mr. Kopplin stressed that any 2011 cases with “noticing” problems need to be addressed.

Mr. Granderson indicated that not all cases can be researched on-line and that two code enforcement people are doing the research that cannot be done on-line.

Mr. Kopplin said that New Orleans’ Sheriff Sale process is the only one of its kind in the country. Ms. Breaux said that the process was challenged legally but the city prevailed. Mr. Hebert asked that the judgment information be sent to members of the City Council.

Mr. Kopplin stressed the importance of getting case files back to code enforcement if the case cannot be adjudicated.

Mr. Kopplin stressed that the focus should be on properties that will sell quickly. Ms. Tammy Jackson indicated that is currently being done.

Mr. Granderson indicated 32 properties are scheduled for Sheriff’s Sale in February. Mr. Kopplin said letters should be sent to judges and lawyers who are not furthering the process. Ms. Breaux indicated this has already been done and that some people have been re-assigned.

Mr. Granderson said 1.6 million dollars have been collected from liens and sales.

Mr. Lessinger talked about properties sold to the State of Louisiana through the Road Home program. He indicated the getting the properties under local control is the goal.

Ms. Kirsten Melberg talked about the soft 2nd program run by Mr. Brian Lawlor and that more and better information will becoming available for NORA properties.

Ms. Melberg indicated that much work is being done on the disposition of State-owned properties in Orleans Parish.

Mr. Lawlor talked about the Office of Community Development.
Rental Housing Program | Homeownership Development Program | Owner-Occupied Rehabilitation Program

The Rental Housing Program provides affordable rental housing for low to moderate income families. Funds are provided to Not-For-Profit and For-Profit Housing Development Organizations for the acquisition, rehabilitation, new construction and soft development cost associated with developing affordable rental housing.

The Homeownership Development Program provides homeownership opportunities by developing properties through acquisition, rehabilitation or new construction of homes that will be sold to low-income families. Not-for-Profit and For-Profit Housing Development Organizations can apply for HOME funds to subsidize the cost of construction, land acquisition, and down payment assistance that will produce a code compliant home.

The Owner-Occupied Rehabilitation Program provides financial assistance to low-income homeowners to enable them to bring their residences into compliance with the Federal Government’s Housing Quality Standards and the International Residential Code adopted by the City of New Orleans. The program is administered by the Not-for-Profit Housing Organizations and In-House Office of Community Development staff.

Mr. Wise asked which programs were most relevant concerning blight. Mr. Lawlor indicated that the Rental Housing Program and the Homeownership Development Program most affected blight.

Mr. David Lessinger talked about the “Market Value Analysis” for properties in New Orleans. The city can use this data to better target areas for redevelopment. The clerk of Civil District Court holds this information. A meeting with the folks from Civil District Court was held during November of 2011 according to Mr. Allen Square.

Mr. Hebert indicated that 16 Katrina cottages are available. Ms. Kirsten Melberg should be contacted if anyone is interested.

2nd sale properties do have a minimum bid that consists of the total of fines and liens. 1st sale properties have a minimum bid of 2/3 of the appraised value. 2nd sale properties do not have a minimum real estate value bid but do have a minimum big that consists of whatever fines and liens that are currently imposed on the property.

Mr. Kopplin proposed a “mow to own” program where adjacent property owners can acquire a property next to them that they are taking care of. He suggested this process take place after the properties have gone to auction and don’t sell.

Mr. Kopplin indicated the current acquisitive prescription process is not very effective.

Ms. Illarmo answered a question from the audience: 7 case managers, 13 inspectors, 20 case managers that rotate in from various law firms.

Ms. Basco answered a question from the audience: Phone calls and emails are returned by Code Enforcement on Mondays and Fridays.

Ms. Bascos indicated that citizens should use 311 to have information forwarded to the Code Enforcement Department.

There is not an effective enforcement program for blighted properties that are occupied. Mr. Hebert indicated that for the most aggregious blighted properties that are occupied, the Fire Department can make progress where the city can not.

Mr. Hebert answered a question about getting a bill from the State legislature to make the blighted property disposition process faster and smoother. House Bill number 430 is authored by Jared Brossette. CLICK HERE TO READ House BILL 430.

Any residents wanting to comment on HB 430 can send them to
[email protected]. This bill is requested jointly by the City of NO and NORA. In an effort to reduce the blight, NORA will be able to purchase adjudicated property directly from the City of New Orleans.

Mr. Kopplin suggested getting Gilmore Auctions involved with NORA properties since they’ve done such a good job with Sheriff Sales.

Mr. Hebert talked about http://ownthecrescent.org

BlightStat 33 will be held on April 12, 2012. The meetings are on the 8th floor of City Hall in the Homeland Security Conference Room.

31 Flavors of Blight

February 9, 2012 by Charlie London

BlightStat 31

February 9, 2012

This was the 31st BlightStat meeting to which the public was invited.
The city continues to march toward its goal of the removal of 10,000 blighted properties within three years. It is estimated that over 40,000 blighted properties were in New Orleans in 2006.

Mr. Oliver Wise moderated the meeting.

Mr. Wise quipped about the change from bi-weekly to monthly meetings and that the report produced this month is the first data for 2012.

Ms. Williams will be changing departments and Mr. Kray will be replacing her.

Ms. Denise Ross introduced the Code for America team. Code for America representatives Ms. Alex Pandel, Mr. Amir Reavis-Bey, Mr. Eddie Tejeda, and Ms. Serena Wales produced a slide show.

Code for America worked in Boston on education last year. They made an easy to use application. 26 fellows are working with 8 cities.

The focus in New Orleans is blight, open data, and 311. The goal is to have active collaboration between city staff, neighborhood leaders, non-profits, community members and the tech community. The Code for America team can be reached at [email protected]

Mr. Kopplin thanked the Code for America team for their contribution to the city. Jeff Hebert indicated that the Code for America team is here due to problems found during the BlightStat meetings.

Mr. Square indicated that citizens are very happy that the Code for America team is here. Mr. Kopplin indicated that New Orleans would be a great place for them to stay permanently.

On Code for America’s website, the situation is described as follows:
“The City of New Orleans wants to partner with Code for America to support and further legitimize the invaluable role neighborhood stakeholders continue to play in community revitalization. By developing a light-weight application to allow community stakeholders to submit bulk information to the city about their neighborhood, view existing relevant city data, and receive status for each of the on-going issues in their neighborhood, they will be better able to advocate and support their neighborhoods.”

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE CITY’s NEW and IMPROVED BLIGHTSTAT PRESENTATION.

Major portions of the presentation have undergone a redesign to focus on quality and timeliness of the steps in the process

Ms. Basco continued the meeting. During January…
reinspections were high due to better property-owner compliance which requires reinspections.

Ms. Basco indicated posting of hearings should increase over time.

Mr. Lessinger indicated the “Inspections by Type and Result” slide better shows the inspection to to posting of hearing process. He thanked Mr. Kray for his work on producing the new format for the presentation.

Mr. Square indicated that some undercounting may be occurring.

Ms. Basco indicated that the majority of the complaints are over the 30 day mark.

Mr. Wise explained the “Timeliness of Inspections” slide. The goal is to have all inspections done within 30 days and to have no inspections that exceed the service level agreement.

Mr. Kopplin and Mr. Wise further discussed the parameters of the powerpoint slide. Mr. Kray clarified the details of the information.

Ms. Basco indicated the priority is on the older inspections while continuing to work incoming complaints.

Ms. Basco indicated that the city is “rockin” concerning the hearings process.

Mr. Kopplin indicated that performance is important but just as important is “Did we do it when we said we would do it?”

Ms. Tammie Jackson reviewed the “Hearings Outcomes” slide. She indicated that better communication has produced improved results.

Ms. Jackson further stated that “yes, 6 years later there are people who are still working through the Road Home process”.

Mr. Kopplin and Ms. Jackson discussed the details of the Road Home program with Ms. Illarmo clarifying how many are still working through the Road Home program. It ranges from 60 – 78 still working through the process.

A representative from the Road Home program asked for help from citizens locating people who have not used their grants from the Road Home program to refurbish their property.

Mr. Wise indicated “the reset – no inspection numbers are still troubling”. He inquired, “What’s going on?” Ms. Basco indicated she did have an answer today but would look into it.

Mr. Hebert said that is not an indication of poor performance of Ms. Basco’s department but that reinspections are a problem.

Mr. Lessinger indicated that Mr. Kray has produced a presentation which better indicates what is going on.

Mr. Kray does not have a way to pull out all of the reinspections from the current system. Mr. Wise said that should become an “action item”.

Mr. Wise asked about what is happening with resets. Ms. Illarmo indicated that some cases do go on for a long time. Ms. Illarmo went through the hearings process in response to a question from Mr. Kopplin.

A discussion ensued about how the new graphics are presented.

Mr. Kray made an analogy of meetings-clients vs. hearings.

Ms. Illarmo discussed resets and that Mr. Kray has produced a valuable tool to help fight blight. More and easier to access information is being produced.

Ms. Illarmo said there will be fewer hearings in February for a variety of reasons (Mardi Gras for one) but a “big push” will be on the agenda for March.

Mr. Carrere discussed demolitions. Significant process has been made particularly in New Orleans East.

Mr. Hebert indicated the townhouses in New Orleans East produce a multitude of issues. Mr. Hebert indicated “the state is committed”. He added that commercial properties have a lot of issues that need to be solved before the buildings can be demolished.

Mr. Kopplin indicated that the City is continuing to negotiate with FEMA. A good working relationship has been established.

The FEMA rep reviewed the “New Orleans FEMA Demolitions” slide. Mr. Kopplin inquired about properties denied by NCDC/HDLC. Those properties then go before the City Council for review.

Mr. Kopplin asked for a report on how many are HDLC denials and NCDC denials and how many have gone before the City Council.

NCDC demolition denials can’t be appealed. They just die for one year.

In just over a year 2,728 demolitons have been completed.

Mr. Keith Ferrouillet discussed the interim nuisance abatement program. Call 658-2526 but INAP can only cut a specific lot once. Citizens in the 9th Ward are doing the “maintenance cuts” once INAP cuts the tall grass on a particular lot.

Mr. Kopplin inquired about the current grass cutting contract which expires March 28th. A request for proposal will go out for a contract that will replace the current non-performing contractor.

Ms. Basco indicated only 1 FEMA trailer remains.
That trailer should be removed soon. Initially there were 18,000 FEMA trailers in the City of New Orleans after hurricane Katrina.

Mr. Granderson indicated that the law department continues to work diligently on the lien foreclosure process. 57 of 144 files were approved for the lien foreclosure process during the past month.

138 properties set for sale. 62 went to auction but no one bid on them. They will be offered again at a future sheriff’s sale for a lower amount. 13 stopped due to “noticing issues”. All owners (heirs, entities, etc.) have to be notified once a property is scheduled to go to a sherrif’s sale.

There will be Sheriff Sales on February 16, February 23 and a large sale on March 6th. This info is updated at data.nola.gov

Mr. Hebert indicated LLT properties are being transferred to the City of New Orleans.

Mr. Lawlor of the Office of Community Development thanked Ms. Rosalind Peychaud for her assistance with the soft-second program.

Mr. Kopplin stated that citizens are demanding results. Mr. Kopplin wants to make sure the process from blighted property to property in commerce gets smoother with time.

Mr. Hebert indicated he and Mr. Lawlor are working together to continue the fight against blight.

The meeting was then opened up for questions from the audience of about 50 people. TV news crews were present at this meeting.

BlightStat 32 will be held on March 8, 2012. The meetings are on the 8th floor of City Hall in the Homeland Security Conference Room.

Blight Attracts Burnt

February 3, 2012 by Charlie London

On Monday, February 6, 2012 at 1:38 pm 3rd District Quality of Life Officer, Patrick Smith wrote: “Sir,
The vehicle was towed by Bill’s Car Crushers on 2/6/12.”
Respectfully,
P/O IV Patrick M. Smith | New Orleans Police Department |
Third District/Quality of Life | Office-504-658-6198 |
Cell-504-444-7514 | email: [email protected]

photos and article by Laura Rapp Boucher
Neighbors and I found a burnt out car at the end of our street which is at Verna and St.Vincent streets.

The car looks to be an act of arson and it looks to have damaged the house near where the fire took place. It’s been there at least two weeks.

I am worried this could become a dumping ground for stolen cars or other crimes because it is a quiet area where these things never happen.

article below by Charlie London

This house at 1549 Verna is owned by the heirs of Edward A. Lambert. The house has been “demolished by neglect” for almost a decade. It’s my understanding that Mr. Lambert was an electrician who once ran wires from his house to the stage at one of the early Jazz Fests so that the “show could go on”.

Unfortunately, the heirs to this home have decided to slowly demolish it by neglecting it year after year. And now, the property has attracted someone who believes this is a good place to burn a car. Why? Because it is obvious that the property owner doesn’t care.

This house has been repeatedly featured in blight articles at FSJNA dot ORG and I reported it to the city. The city took action and levied fines. You can see a PDF with information about 1549 Verna from August 31, 2010 by clicking here.

What is it going to take to get rid of this problem? A new owner.

And, it appears we may have that in real estate salesman Tommy Crane.

Mr. Crane would like to take the photo you see above and transform it into a place we can all be proud of. As you can see from his architect’s rendering, the new house will seemlessly integrate into the neighborhood due to its thoughtful planning and style.

Criminals see blighted homes, bandit signs, and unkempt areas as an invitation.

Mr. Crane has the resources and a plan to make this blight go away. He would like our support for approval to remove this blighted building. Let’s work together to prevent more blight and more crime in this area.

Here is a statement from Mr. Crane on his intentions for the property:

“I have an agreement to buy the property from the heirs subject to getting a demo permit. I have submitted an application for such with HDLC and my understanding is that there will be a hearing on Feb 9, 2012. I wanted to bring this to your attention and am happy to meet in person to discuss my plans for the property.

To give a brief summation, my intentions are to build a raised center hall with approx 2500 to 2800 sq ft. The bulk of the sq ft would be on a main level with a 40 ft wide and 8 ft deep porch overlooking the Fairgrounds. There would be 2 bedrooms and a bath under roof in attic and ground level garages below entering from the side on Private St. My architect is drawing preliminary sketches which I will be happy to pass along. My goal would be to have a property that looks as if it has always been there and not appear to be a new home. I do not anticipate any variances will be needed or required.”

Tommy Crane
504-723-8504
CLICK HERE TO VIEW Mr. Crane’s plans for 1549 Verna.
***

Many thanks to Dean Burridge for first reporting the burned car on January 27th and for meeting with Mr. Crane about 1549 Verna.

***
March 13, 2011: 1549 Verna in the link below…
https://fsjna.org/2011/03/blightstat-9/

November 18, 2011: 1549 Verna in the link below…
https://fsjna.org/2010/11/keeping-our-eyes-on-the-prize/

1549 Verna in the blight page at FSJNAdotORG:
https://fsjna.org/steps-to-stomp-out-blight/

Click here to see 1549 Verna on March 31, 2010.

Armageddon has Arrived for Blight in New Orleans

January 12, 2012 by Charlie London

by Charlie London
Blightstat #30
January 12, 2012

The thirtieth BlightStat meeting (that the public was invited to) was held today. This was the first meeting since the change from bi-weekly meetings to monthly meetings on the second Thursday of each month. Visit the link below for a calendar showing all of the BlightStat meetings for 2012.
https://fsjna.org/steps-to-stomp-out-blight/

Click here to view a PDF of the City’s
January 12, 2012 BlightStat presentation.

Oliver Wise, the Director of Performance and Accountability for New Orleans generally moderates the meetings but is out on paternity leave due to the birth of his daughter on January 5th. Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Wise!

Mr. Jeff Hebert began the meeting with announcements, the most notable being that Code for America is to arrive in February.

Ms. Denise Ross continued the meeting indicating that once again New Orleans has been blessed with help from the “best and brightest”. You may remember that New Orleans was the recipient of a “Smarter Cities Grant” from IBM last year. Ms. Ross said Code for America will analyze the City’s information systems and learn how New Orleans’ neighborhoods track blight. Code for America will bring this information back to San Francisco to build applications to further the blight effort in New Orleans. Ms. Ross said the City’s goal is to deliver value to its citizens. An aggressive implementation target for the Code for America applications has been set for December, 2012.

Ms. Ross gushed with the information that twenty cities applied for the Code for America help and New Orleans was one of five to get it. And, because New Orleans has such an aggressive BlightStat program, there will be four “fellows” from Code for America arriving to help us.
The other winning cities will only receive three “fellows”.

The meeting continued with each department’s director commenting on the powerpoint slide that affected their department:

INSPECTIONS
532 inspections for period ending Dec 31. 20% above inspections goal. Inspections backlog remains and age of inspections has increased slightly but the backlog is down overall. The goal is to have all inspections done within 30 days of assignment.

HEARINGS
Ms. Illarmo reviewe the hearings slide which indicated that the backlog has been reduced by 340 cases. The backlog continues to be aggressively addressed. The goal remains unmet but Mr. Kopplin indicated it is clear that the City is in a turn-around period. The number of cases held continues to rise while the backlog continues to be reduced. Ms. Tammy Johnson indicated that fewer fines will be waived and that blight liens will be enforced. Judgements will be recorded.

Ms. Illarmo indicated that 666 blight hearings per month is the goal.
It’s armageddon for blight in New Orleans!

DEMOLITIONS
Ms. Basco said 11 FEMA demolitions and 8 strategic demolitions were done over the last month. SHPO, NCDC, and HDLC approvals slow the process. Councilmembers have requested that properties be sold at Sheriff Sales rather than demolished. Unfortunately, most of the properties that are so bad that they need to be demolished don’t ordinarily sell at a Sheriff Sale. Mr. Hebert indicated about 1500 buildings were demolished last year. (2200 units)

Mr. Kray reminded the audience that demolitions are listed at data.nola.gov. The “Demolition & Salvage by Program” slide indicated there is much work being done in New Orleans East. This is great especially if blight is cleared along the I-10 corridor as it is the first area people see in New Orleans as they travel from the east on I-10.

Mr. Will McGowan indicated that 11 demolitions were done over the last month with 14 demolitions done so far in January. There are 32 “selective salvage” properties in the works. FEMA funded demolitions will eventually end. Mr. Kopplin warned that the City needs to have a backup plan when the funding ends.

Mr. Lessinger indicated the 9th Ward lot clearing program continues.

Ms. Basco indicated only 1 FEMA trailer remains.

Ms. Sylvain-Lear indicated the Sanitation Department continues to fight illegal dumping. Over 3,000 illegally dumped tires have been removed. Sanitation Rangers continue to check manifests at tire shops to make sure that tires are being disposed of properly. Mr. Kopplin indicated that the work Sanitation Rangers do with the Quality of Life Officers is the backbone of the blight fight. Ms. Sylvain-Lear asked that neighborhoods continue to report bandit signs as they are beginning to pop up again but instead of major thoroughfares are deep within neighborhoods. Call 311 or write to [email protected]

Mr. Kopplin announced Quality of Life Stat will begin January 26th.

SHERIFF SALES
Mr. Granderson indicated lien foreclosures continue. Filing fees have increased in 2012.
Sheriff Sales coming up are Jan 19 | Jan 26 | Feb 2 | Feb 9. Sheriff Sales are done each Thursday at noon in the lobby of the Civil District Court building which are generally bank foreclosures. The Tuesday sales are blight removal sales. Mr. Granderson mentioned data.nola.gov and indicated that information on Sheriff sales is up to date as of yesterday.

LLT/NORA inventory remains constant with 24 closings for the month of December.

Mr. Square indicated the new and improved 311 call system will be launched March 26th. Code Enforcement is the number one call to 311.

BlightStat 31 will be held on February 9, 2012. The meetings are on the 8th floor of City Hall in the Homeland Security Conference Room.

BlightStat Moving to Monthly Meetings

December 15, 2011 by Charlie London

by Charlie London

BlightStat 29 | December 15, 2011

Beginning in 2012, the BlightStat meetings will be held once each month instead of bi-weekly. This was the 29th BlightStat meeting to which the public was invited.

Click here to view a PDF of the City of New Orleans’
December 15, 2011 BlightStat Meeting

Thursday, January 12, 2012 will be the next meeting date. Then the second Thursday of each month thereafter.

Inspections
514 over the last two weeks. Ms. Basco indicated the backlog has increased slightly but the inspectors are working diligently in their assigned districts.

Inspection sweeps were done throughout the city with several being done during the recent “Fight the Blight” day held in each council district.

Mr. Wise reviewed the map of inspections with Ms. Basco.

Mr. Kopplin asked about the progress of the “occupied property” strategy. Ms. Basco said she is working on it. Occupied houses are not currently cited for blight.

Hearings
The backlog has been reduced significantly. Mr. Square indicated the majority of 311 calls are for code enforcement. Mr. Kopplin indicated that a target needs to be set for getting rid of the backlog. Mr. Kopplin suggested the February, 2012 meeting would be a good date to shoot for but would like closure on the backlog.

The greatest number of hearings were held this bi-weekly period with 413 hearings completed.

Demolitions
Mr. Carrere indicated 7 strategic demolitions with 3 being done during the recent “Fight the Blight” day, one of which was a 24 unit apartment building.

Cold weather drives vagrants into unoccupied buildings which often results in fires.

FEMA demolished 15 structures and 20 units.

44 properties removed from FEMA demolitions due to compliance.

Mr. Wise indicated that the strategic demolitions program has finite resources so the city needs to maximize the benefit for the resources available.

Interim Nuisance Abatement Program
Mr. Ferrouillet indicated 15 properties were cut during the “Fight the Blight” day. Contract for lot cutting is being re-bid and should be done by March, 2012.

9th Ward Lot Clearing
Mr. Lessinger indicated that 775 lots have been cut so far. Mr. Wise indicated that issues that affect people is the main focus of fighting blight. Blight affects public safety and quality of life.

Five FEMA trailers still remain.

Illegal Dumping
Ms. Lear indicated the Sanitation Department is still focusing in the 9th Ward and New Orleans East. Almonaster and Michoud are hot spots for tire dumping.

Sheriff Sales
Mr. Gray indicated that the highest amount ever was collected from the recent Sheriff Sale bringing the total to 1.2 million for the year.
Ms. Breaux indicated her team met with the owners of 609 Jackson Avenue about what action they are going to take to rid the city of this blighted property. (former medical facility) Ms. Breaux’s team is still working with the owner to get the owner to demolish the property or sell it.

Mr. Gray indicated 125 properties will be sold at a Sherrif Sale on January 10th. He also indicated sales are done every Thursday.

Mr. Wise indicated about 35% of the properties that go to Sheriff Sale are actually sold.

Mr. Kopplin indicated that economic development and blight strategy go hand in hand.

Mr. Lessinger discussed strategies for improving the number of properties sold at Sheriff Sales.

Auction updates for code lien foreclosures are posted on http://data.nola.gov/

Ms. Wilkerson said that 85 NORA closings were done over the past two weeks. Ms. Wilkerson will be leaving early in 2012 when the NORA program gets discontinued.

Mr. Kopplin indicated his goal is to have as many hearings as possible to get properties in compliance and to reduce the number of properties that end up in the backlog due to title research, contacting heirs, etc.

Mr. Kopplin indicated that the City Council authorized two additional Sanitation Rangers to help fight the dumping problem.

***
NEW ORLEANS | Thu Dec 15, 2011 1:39pm EST
Next up for New Orleans’ recovery: fighting blight
By Mark Guarino
NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) – A city policy involving demolitions, inspections, community meetings and Saturday morning elbow grease is reviving New Orleans neighborhoods at a faster rate than most expected after Hurricane Katrina put 80 percent of the city underwater six years ago.

“This is a total groundbreaker for the city,” said Allison Plyer, chief demographer of the nonprofit Greater New Orleans Community Data Center.

“There’s never been this intensive an effort previously to combat blight.”

Even before the levees broke, New Orleans struggled with many of the classic elements that produce vacant homes and empty lots: systematic population loss, a troubled economy and crime.

Then Katrina accelerated blight. Some 110,000 New Orleans residents did not return to their homes in the five years since the storm, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

In October 2010, Mayor Mitch Landrieu, then just six months in office, launched a blight initiative he said was designed to turn around 10,000 properties by 2014.

By the end of this year, city officials say, nearly 4,000 properties will fit that bill, lowering the city’s total number of blighted properties to less than 42,000, according to data from the United States Postal Service, which tracks such figures as vacant homes where mail is not collected.

“What happened is we got better at what we’re supposed to be doing and that, by getting more aggressive, property owners know we’re coming and know we mean consequences so they start to self-correct,” Landrieu told Reuters.

FEDERAL BILLIONS

In the early post-Katrina years, billions of federal recovery dollars helped the city buy abandoned properties and either demolish them or sell them to neighbors, as well as encourage residents to return and rehabilitate their homes.

Then came Jeff Hebert, the city’s inaugural director of blight policy and neighborhood revitalization.

He has sped up property inspections, held regular community meetings and implemented little changes like redirecting workers in a jobs program to mowing overgrown lots in devastated neighborhoods like the Lower Ninth Ward, which hadn’t seen a lawnmower blade in years.

Herbert also helped the city steer away from tax sales of foreclosed properties, which can drag on for three years, to sheriff’s sales, which award new property owners a clear title immediately upon purchase.

“That may be our single biggest policy shift,” Hebert told Reuters. “Our goal is not necessarily to demolish houses but the end goal is to get houses back into commerce.”

Landrieu said the new measures are designed to address his administration’s three priorities: crime, jobs and schools.

“Blight is the thread that depends on whether or not we have success in those areas,” he said. “It’s a major threat to public safety and quality of life.”

Despite the city’s efforts, about 25 percent of New Orleans housing remained vacant in 2010, according to the Greater New Orleans Community Data Center.

Title issues, contractor fraud and rebuilding costs are saddling recovery, and some residents say the city isn’t acting fast enough to prevent neighborhoods from falling behind.

EIGHT FEET OF WATER

Take Rose Johnson. Her neat, two-story home in the city’s Broadmoor neighborhood took nearly 8 feet of water and she spent $130,000 to return it back to its original splendor.

Her neighbor did not. In the years that passed since the storm, the vacant Italianate home next to Johnson’s receded, as if reclaimed by the earth.

Pink exterior plaster is crumbled at the ground and this month, the stairs caved in. Johnson, 65, took it upon herself to mow the grass and hired an exterminator to set baits around her house so the rats next door wouldn’t infest her own.

She said she called the city several times but has seen no progress. “It’s a mess. I want them to tear it down,” she said of city officials. “It’s not fit to live in.”

Demolition creates its own challenges. Some community organizers complain the city leaves the foundation behind on houses it demolishes, preventing lots from reverting to green space and creating another version of blight. The city has demolished over 2,100 blighted properties so far this year.

“Demolitions are a mixed bag,” Plyer said. “If you do a lot of demolition then you have a dumping problem. People come and dump tires and debris and trash.”

Population recovery is one reason New Orleans appears to be advancing on blight. Even though the New Orleans population is 21 percent less than before the storm, the population more than doubled between 2006 and 2010, to 343,800.

Katrina helped mobilize the city’s public-private web of civic and neighborhood organizations and city departments, says Margery Austin Turner, vice president for research of the Urban Institute, a nonprofit policy analysis group based in Washington, D.C.

“I don’t think you would have seen that kind of capacity in New Orleans prior to Katrina,” she told Reuters.

Evidence of that is a section of Broadmoor where a development corporation set up by the neighborhood association in 2006 is rehabbing homes it purchased with $5 million from the Clinton Global Initiative. On one Friday in late November, 200 volunteers built a new playground for the nearby school.

“Our residents have skin in this game,” said David Winkler-Schmit, communications director for the association. “We know what we need.”

BlightStat 28

December 1, 2011 by Charlie London

Photo and article by Charlie London

CLICK HERE TO VIEW A PDF of the
CITY’s December 1, 2011 BlightStat presentation.

The 28th BlightStat meeting to which the public was invited began with city department representatives introducing themselves.

Mr. Keith Ferrouillet, Mr. Allen Square, Mr. Jeff Hebert , Mr. Oliver Wise, Ms. Joyce Wilkerson, Mr. Brian Lawlor, Mr.Miles Granderson, Ms. Brenda Breaux, Ms. Pura Basco, Ms. Kristin Illarmo, Mr. Winston Reid, Mr. David Lessinger, Mr. Justin Kray, and Ms. Tammy Johnson were in attendance.

Mr. Lessinger began the meeting with an announcement of the upcoming “Fight the Blight” day on December 10th. 10 am until 1 pm

The “Fight the Blight” day takes place in each council district. Here is what is happening in District A from the Mid-City Neighborhood Organization:

“Volunteers will fan out in a five-block radius from St. Patrick park (which effectively means towards the river and Canal Street, given the location of I-10). Volunteers can plant trees, clean storm drains and paint “No Dumping” on them, cart away abandoned tires, appliances, etc., cars, spray for rodents and then remove the debris, fill potholes, replace street signs, and more.”

Inspections
Ms. Basco indicated 445 inspections were done during the last two weeks. More emphasis is on re-inspections to move hearings along.

Mr. Wise noted the inspections backlog is beginning to creep back up. Overall the backlog has been reduced significantly and continues to be a focus of Code Enforcement.

Hearings
Ms. Illarmo noted the backlog has been reduced significantly. The strategic demo team (Tammy) is working diligently to research properties in need of demolition.

A discussion ensued about the hearings backlog. Ms. Illarmo continued the meeting noting that 235 hearings were completed over the last two weeks.

Much work has been done researching files and getting cases organized.
Mr. Wise again focused on the hearings backlog. A further discussion ensued.

Reset cases are down significantly. This may indicate significant efficiency measures have been implemented and are working.

Demolitions
Demolitions continue to rise. “Jason” indicated that 3 properties are ready for demolition with 6 properties waiting for utility disconnects.

FEMA
Demolished 3 residential structures and one large property on General Taylor.

Interim Nuisance Abatement Program
Mr. Ferrouillet indicated 9 properties were cut this two week period. Workers were off for the Thanksgiving holiday.

FEMA TRAILERS
5 Fema trailers remain. 1 is empty. 2 should be gone before the end of the year. 2 will likely remain for a while.

Sheriff Sales
Compliance continues to go up as properties go to Sheriff sale. (Liens paid or property sold). 15 had no bid. 1st round the property has a minimum. If no bid then the second time the property has a much lower price.

Dec 6 and Jan 10 Sheriff sale dates. Dec 15, 19, 26, and Jan 2 for foreclosure sales.

Over a million dollars has been collected so far from the lien foreclosure process.

Mr. Wise asked Mr. Lawlor about the “soft second” program. Mr. Lawlor indicated work continues to make properties available.

Ms. Wilkerson indicated 5 new NORA properties are available with two dozen properties closed this bi-weekly period.

More “lot next door” closing are getting done.

Mr. Lawlor answered a question from the audience concerning help for people trying to rebuild their homes. Mr. Lawlor indicated a visit to http://www.rtno.org and http://stbernardproject.org would be a good place to start.

More questions from the audience were answered and the meeting adjourned.
***

BlightStat Turns Out One Year of Meetings

November 3, 2011 by Charlie London

by Charlie London

It’s been one year since the city invited the public to attend the BlightStat meetings. Today’s meeting was the 26th BlightStat meeting that the public was invited to attend.

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/

NOTES FROM THE NOVEMBER 3, 2011 BLIGHTSTAT MEETING ARE BELOW:

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE CITY’S NOVEMBER 3, 2011
BLIGHTSTAT PRESENTATION

Mr. Oliver Wise began the meeting with introductions and announcements. He announced the one year anniversary of the BlightStat meetings and presented buttermilk drops to those in attendance.

Mr. Hebert introduced Ken Grossman who is working with the City because of a grant from HUD. Mr. Hebert also introduced Allison Plyer of the Community Data Center who began the meeting.

She discussed the new report which is available at gnodc.org. Please visit the link below to read her report:
http://www.gnocdc.org/HousingDevelopmentAndAbandonment/index.html

Ms. Plyer presented the following facts: New Orleans peak population was in 1960. Between 1960 and 1980 suburban development expanded while historic neighborhoods in New Orleans experienced abandonment.

The “sliver by the river” experienced growth in the 1990’s. After Hurricane Katrina singles are attracted to downtown living but more households move out than move in. Westbank gains households.

Mr. Kopplin asked about the depopulation of New Orleans. Ms. Plyer indicated that while population does fluctuate, overall population in New Orleans is down. Large growth is happening in St. Tammany Parish and other areas north of Lake Ponchartrain.

Ms. Plyer stated that the “baby boom” generation is getting older and there will be a “demographic tidal wave” of elderly in the next few years. She indicated that the city may want to pursue measures to keep elderly in their New Orleans homes.

Mr. Kopplin discussed redevelopment programs for vacant housing like the soft-second program. He indicated that rehab of vacant housing is the focus of the Landrieu administration.

Mr. Hebert indicated that many people want larger homes and are moving to suburbia to get them.

Ms. Bascos introduced “Tammy” who will be working on hearings with Ms. Illarmo.

Inspections continue to exceed goals with 22,000 inspections done this year and 469 inspections during this bi-weekly period.

Ms. Bascos continued with a discussion of the inspections backlog with Mr. Wise inquiring about the time it takes between a call for an inspection and when the inspection takes place. The goal of having the inspection take place within 5 days is not currently happening.

Inspectors have specific areas to cover now and that seems to be working well.

Ms. Illarmo continued the meeting stating that 352 hearings were done during the last two weeks with 315 hearings set for the next two weeks.

Mr. Kopplin asked what the plan is to close the gap. Mr. Hebert indicated that Ms. Illarmo is working nights and weekends to keep things moving.

Mr. Lessinger indicated that “Tammy” will be focusing on higher level management of the blight cases. This was in response to Mr. Kopplin’s question on what is to be done to “close the gap”.

Mr. Hebert indicated that the Case Management system is a problem with getting blight cases adjudicated.

Mr. Kopplin discussed with Ms. Illarmo about the churning of re-inspections due to case resets and indicated that 26 hearing officers have been hired and the process needs to move along efficiently.

Mr. Kopplin indicated that the hearings backlog should disappear by December 31, 2011. He also indicated that he wants citizens to be able to call up on January 1, 2012 and be able to find out information about blighted properties easily.

Mr. Kopplin stated, “Don’t submarine our goals” when referring to the backlog of blight cases.

Mr. Wise indicated the backlog is down to 1600 from 2200. Mr. Wise indicated that hearings productivity has increased while Mr. Kopplin expressed his gratitude for that.

Mr. Hebert indicated that “undesirable resets” of blight hearings has gone down from 67% last November to 23% this November.

Mr. Carrere discussed the “Total Demolitions by Program” slide. He indicated that a large apartment complex that sat languishing due to some procedural errors has been cleaned up.

Mr. Kopplin continued with a discussion of the problems encountered with demolition contractors.

The FEMA representative indicated FEMA funded demolitions are moving along. He indicated that during 2008 and 2009, people were not renovating properties but many more are now due to increased enforcement via blight hearings.

Mr. Kopplin indicated that the HDLC has a new booklet on how to properly and inexpensively rehab historic properties. The city is getting contractors to use the HDLC guidelines when doing rehab on historic properties for the small rental program. Please visit the link below to learn more about the Historic District Landmarks Commission guidelines for proper restoration:
http://www.nola.gov/RESIDENTS/HDLC/Guidelines/Guidelines/

Mr. Keith Ferrouillet of INAP indicated the contractor has equipment issues so not many lots were cut this bi-weekly period.

Mr. David Lessinger indicated 12 people have been hired under the Job 1 program several of which are ex-offenders to perform grass cutting in the 9th Ward area. Over 100 lots have been cut already.

Ms. Lear indicated 3 front-end loaders are damaged and need repair. She once again asked citizens to immediately report dumping. Citations are being issued.

Mr. Hebert indicated that tire dumping is a huge problem. He said he saw a boat in the middle of one street and the boat was filled with tires.

Mr. Kopplin indicated that he would like greater emphasis on catching violators or solving the problem. It’s not individuals but small tire shops that are doing most of the dumping.

Tires are recycled through LDEQ via COLT. Learn more about the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality and tire recycling by visiting the link below:
http://www.deq.state.la.us/portal/DIVISIONS/FinancialServices/WasteTires.aspx

Mr. Wise indicated that a lot more Sheriff Sales happened over the last two weeks.

Mr. Granderson said many of these properties were re-sales that did not sell at the first auction so the asking price was lowered.

Mr. Granderson said that Mr. Ryan Berni will be sending out a press release about the upcoming Sheriff sales.

Mr. Kopplin asked how many properties are scheduled for sale. Mr. Granderson indicated that goals for the year will not likely be met.

Mr. Kopplin put pressure on Mr. Granderson to get contractors that help with the Sheriff sale process to produce results the City is paying for… namely that blighted property sales increase significantly before the end of this year.

Mr. Kopplin requested an email blast be sent out with links to properties for sale to make it easy for people to find properties they may be interested in.

Ms. Wilkerson reviewed the stats on NORA properties and announced that another auction is coming up this Saturday.

Mr. Hebert said the City has learned from other cities what enforcement mechanisms work in different situations.

Mr. Kopplin indicated he is “deeply uncomfortable” with differential enforcement based on how an area is affected by blight.

BlightStat 23

September 22, 2011 by Charlie London

by Charlie London

BlightStat meetings will take place on the 8th Floor in the Homeland Security Conference room at City Hall until further notice. This was the 23rd BlightStat meeting to which 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.

Click HERE for the City’s September 22, 2011
BlightStat presentation

******************************************
NOTES FROM THE September 22, 2011
BLIGHTSTAT MEETING ARE BELOW
Mr Wise began the meeting with introductions. Mr. Hebert announced the Fight the Blight event taking place throughout the city this Saturday, September 24th from 10 am to 1 pm. More in the link below:
http://business.fsjna.org/2011/08/help-fight-blight-september-24th/
Mr. Hebert also welcomed Councilmember Palmer who attended today’s BlightStat meeting.

Mr. Wise announced that New Orleans received a Challenge Grant from IBM. The IBM team was introduced. An IBM representative introduced the team which hails from all over the country and the world. He stated that the team will be working with the City of New Orleans to analyze data and processes to help the City improve. More about the IBM Smarter Cities program can be found in the link below:
http://www.ibm.com/smarterplanet/us/en/smarter_cities/overview/index.html

Mr. Kopplin recognized the Strategic Partnerships group from the City that helped make this grant a reality. This is one of 8 grants given by IBM throughout the country.

Mr. Square said this grant is timely as the City is looking to move forward.

Mr. Kopplin announced that the Bureau of Governmental Research wanted to award the City for its BlightStat efforts but Mr. Wise is married to someone who works at the Bureau of Governmental Research.

Mr. Kopplin introduced Brian Lawlor who is a new employee. He recently worked for the State of New York.

A Chief of the New Orleans Fire Department was present and will be present at future BlightStat meetings.

Ms. Bosco of Code Enforcement once again reviewed the backlog as they have at every meeting. She indicated that the backlog is steadily dropping. The Code Enforcement inspections are down but they have already met their goal for the year and have assigned inspectors additional duties to help move the entire blight remediation process along.

Mr. Square indicated that the Code Enforcement Department has made incredible progress on the backlog and asked how long it takes for an inspection once blighted property is reported. Ms. Bosco replied that it is generally 48 to 72 hours.

Mr. Hebert indicated that the system is designed to get information in but the system is not user-friendly when trying to get the information back out in a usable format. He indicated that frustration is rising from both City employees and the public about the computer system.

Ms. Ross indicated the features that she would like to see the system be able to do. Every status in the blight pipeline needs to be “live” so that the workflow can proceed smoothly. She indicated Justin Kray, the Technology Lead in the Office of Performance and Accountability has done a great job collating information with the tools at hand. Mr. Wise reviewed the computer system process from inspector to report.

Mr. Hebert indicated we may not need 7 people for 311 intake calls if the reporting process is going to be on the website.

Mr. Square indicated his team is here and has been diligently working on fixing the Accela problems but have been unable to get the system to work as it should. Mr. Square further noted that his entire team was sitting in the back row of the room.

Mr. Reid indicated that the response time for his Department is good despite the problems with Accela.

Ms. Bosco said the City has been divided into 16 areas where an inspector is responsible for the entire process for each blighted home within that area. This is to make the inspectors more accountable and take ownership of the process.

Ms. Illarmo indicated that hearings are up this bi-weekly period. Most were FEMA cases of which most are complete. She indicated 272 more cases were added recently.

Mr. Wise discussed the 30 day “noticing” period before cases go to adjudication.

Ms. Illarmo indicated that some recently noticing letters did not go out on the 20th because the City’s mailroom was “changing out a machine”.

Mr. Kopplin indicated that this is unacceptable and that the mail room should have warned all departments before performing the machine upgrade so that alternative mail options could have been arranged. Mr. Kopplin indicated a meeting will take place with mail room staff so that this does not happen again.

Mr. Hebert went to the City of Baltimore recently and indicated that the City of Baltimore may be willing to help the City of New Orleans with some computer programs.

Mr. Wise asked Ms. Illarmo about improvements in the process. Ms. Illarmo indicated that the City Attorneys were extremely helpful with research to move cases along. Case research is the main focus for properties going to Sherrif Sale.

Ms. Bosco indicated that her Case Managers are unable to do case research 3 days of each week due to other responsibilities.

Mr. Kopplin indicated that there may not be enough resources allocated to getting cases to adjudication hearings.

Ms. Bosco indicated that the Case Managers are doing a good job but are overly cautious which slows the process.

Mr. Kopplin asked if we need paralegals to get legal notices out for Sherrif Sale or what do we need to do? What is the plan?

Mr. Hebert indicated that there is a snafu with the Bar Association members donating time.Ms. Breaux indicated that lawyers can’t volunteer their time to municipalities due to a potential conflict of interest according to the Attorney General. If a work-around is unable to be found for this issue, it will eliminate a significant source of help for the city.

Ms. Illarmo indicated that resets are up this period due to more re-inspections. Ms. Bosco indicated the computer system is causing manual viewing of files. Mr. Kopplin indicated that the problem needs to be solved as resets prolong the process and frustrate citizens.

Mr. Square indicated that Accela needs to sit down with the Code Enforcement Department and fix the problems. Mr. Kopplin concurred.

Mr. Carrere indicated steady progress on demolitions but “eminent danger of collapse” cases are a priority. Mr. Carrere indicated that utility disconnects can slow the process of demolitions. The recent tropical disturbance put Entergy’s resources elsewhere.

Mr. Kopplin indicated that the City will monitor Entergy’s disconnect performance and make phone calls to Entergy’s management if necessary. Mr. Kopplin indicated that the City may want to investigate modifying the current contract and pay the current 500 dollars for a disconnect if done in two weeks and 100 dollars if not.

Mr. Carrere reviewed the strategic demolition process indicating that historic review slows the process of getting demolitions done. Some demolitions are being appealed. Mr. Wise indicated we review the process to eliminate roadblocks to progress.

Ms. Bosco said that coincidentally several demolitions will take place this Saturday during the Fight the Blight event.

Mr. Wolcott indicated a FEMA demolition on Arthur Street will also take place Saturday during the Fight the Blight event. 111 guilty judgements so far for FEMA properties. He indicated that the threat of demolition often brings the property into compliance.

Mr. Hebert indicated that getting the property to demolition or compliance is as much of a reimbursable cost from FEMA as other FEMA reimbursements. He indicated that in Terrebonne Parish the demolition process moves quicker. New Orleans has a unique process.

Mr. Wolcott indicated that private property demolitions are more labor intensive.

Mr. Kopplin indicated that we may want to consider what works in other areas to shorten the process. Mr. Hebert indicated that it’s a comparison of urban vs. rural and that what works in a rural environment may not work here.

Mr. Ferrouillet indicated the grass cutting contractor is not meeting the terms of the contract. Mr. Kopplin indicated that the City is taking action to protect its interests.

Mr. Wise indicated that the contractor should be invited to the BlightStat meetings to explain the lack of progress.

Mr. Hebert discussed the Federal jobs bill. As part of that bill, jobs will be created to cut grass where needed. Mr. Kopplin suggested citizens write to their congressmen to support the Federal jobs bill so we can get the grass cut in New Orleans.

Ms. Lear indicated that fencing is also an issue because dumping occurs on unfenced properties.

Mr. Kopplin indicated that nine FEMA trailers still need to be removed. Mr. Kopplin said rigorous enforcement has been the norm for the past year.

Ms. Lear said illegal dumping is up but the Sanitation Department is working hard to go after illegal dumpers and is working with volunteers to clean up areas. The City has removed and transported 11,950 dumped tires to date.

871 illegal signs removed this period and the City Attorney is following up on the summons issued to violators.

Mr. Kopplin indicated the amnesty for illegal signs is over. The City is aggressively eradicating sign pollution through enforcement.

Mr. Granderson indicated 3 properties will be up for Sheriff sale today. Two large Sheiff sales are coming soon. 32 auctions on Oct 18 and 20 on November 1st.

Mr. Gray reviewed the code lien foreclosures slide. 3 properties were put up for sale for 2/3 of the appraised value but did not sell. They will be put up for sale again at a lower value.

Mr. Granderson indicated that 200 curators have been appointed to move the Sheriff Sale process along.

Mr. Gray indicated that 62 properties had their liens paid due to the threat of Sheriff Sale.

Mr. Kopplin indicated that the City has the potential to collect millions of dollars in liens.

Mr. Gray indicated that approximately 475 properties are being prepared for Sheriff Sale.

Ms. Breaux indicated that the Law Department is working all angles to get the job done. She indicated that slow payments from the City continue to be an issue. Mr. Kopplin indicated he and Ms. Breaux will meet “off line” about that.

Ms. Wilkerson review total NORA closings. Some properties are being held for the Iberville development. Mr. Hebert and Mr. Kopplin discussed the universe of properties that the state requires the City to process.

Ms. Wilkerson indicated 117 properties sold at the recent NORA auction. None of the properties had a reserve. She indicated that the auction produced a nice increase in sale prices over assessed values. The focus was on properties with structures for this auction.

Mr. Wise reviewed the NORA auction slide also noting that many of the properties sold for more than the appraised value.

Mr. Hebert indicated that he was present at the auction and that most of the Lakeview lots sold for more that $100,000.

Mr. Kopplin indicated that the marketing for NORA properties was great.
Mr. Hebert indicated that the auction companies get a handsome piece of the action so therefore it is in their best interest to market the properties aggressively.

Ms. Wilkerson indicated that all of the Westbank properties sold for less than the appraised value.

Mr. Hebert indicated that there has been a population shift away from Algiers. He and Councilmember Palmer toured the Westbank recently.

Ms. Wilkerson said there is another NORA sale coming up in October and that there will be more frequent sales.

Mr. Bryan Lawlor said a plan is being devised for the City to acquire and dispose of problem NORA properties.

Questions from the audience were answered and the meeting adjourned.

***

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

WHEN: Thursday, October 6, 2011
8:00-9:30 AM CST

WHERE: The Homeland Security Conference room on the 8th floor at City Hall

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 | August 11, 2011 | August 25, 2011 | September 8, 2011 | September 22, 2011 |

To report blighted property please call (504) 658-4300/4301 or email Jonathan Solis at [email protected]

To report an abandoned car or illegal parking please call (504) 658-8290/8291 or email Zepporiah Edmonds at [email protected]

To report a street light outage please call (504) 658-8080

To report a pot hole please call (504) 658-8000 or email Nguyen Phan at [email protected]

For other Quality of Life issues you may contact the Community Coordinator (CoCo) Officers below:

1st Police District at (504) 658-6010, or email Sgt. Kenny Temple at [email protected]
2nd Police District at (504) 658-6020, or email Sgt. Ernie Joseph at [email protected]
6th Police District at (504) 658-6060, or email Sgt. Yolanda Jenkins at [email protected]
8th Police District at (504) 658-6080, or email Sgt. Jonette Williams at [email protected]

For all other complaints call: (504) 658-4000 and follow the prompts. If you get unacceptable results after contacting the numbers from above please email [email protected] with all the info and we’ll follow up.

BlightStat Turns 21

August 25, 2011 by Charlie London

It’s Your Right to Fight Blight

This was the twenty first BlightStat meeting to which the public was invited to attend.

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.

Click here to view the City’s 21st public BlightStat presentation.

The legal department had an extended discussion about getting properties to Sherrif Sales. The legal department has been consistent in their efforts to fight blight in New Orleans. Ms. Brenda Breaux has made it clear to her team that consistent efforts will be maintained.

The group discussed marketing efforts for the Sherrif Sales noting that the Preservation Resource Center and neighborhood organizations can be utilized to help promote the events.

Mr. Kopplin suggested that the names of the curators should be known to neighborhoods as citizens are out of patience with those who are not effective.

Mr. Kopplin noted that 1,000 writs have been filed this year. Mr. Granderson and Mr. Gray were touted as the driving force behind getting writs filed so that blighted property can be brought to a Sherrif Sale.

Mr. Hebert said he has heard that some are shocked at how far the city has come in the fight against blight. Mr. Brad Vogel also gave accolades to the City for its efforts toward getting properties up for Sherrif Sale.

Mr. Granderson indicated that he and Mr. Gray have been working diligently on the files sent to them to get them ready for Sherrif Sales.

Mr. Kopplin noted that compliance only works under threat of demolition.

Mr. Granderson indicated that citizens can go to CivilSherrif.com and click on the sales list to see properties coming up for Sherrif sale.
Code Enforcement was represented by a new person that indicated the strategic demolition process is moving along but historical reviews, utility cutoffs and owner objections have slowed some demolitions.

Mr. Kopplin noted that packet delivery does not necessarily equal demolition and quipped that eminent danger works better.

Mr. Wolcott reviewed the FEMA demolitions noting that ten demolitions were done in that last two weeks. He indicated that FEMA’s process is better organized but ten demolitions each bi-weekly period will likely be the norm. Mr. Kopplin indicated that a third of all FEMA demolitions have been denied by NCDC. Mr. Wolcott indicated that only adjudicated properties are submitted to NCDC. Mr. Kopplin asked Mr. Hebert for a list of demolitions denied by NCDC.

Ms. Wilkerson indicated that NORA demolitions are winding down as the money runs out around June, 2012.

Mr. Keith Ferrouillet discussed nuisance abatement which has slowed because the contractor has indicated he is not being paid timely. Mr. Hebert indicated that the process has been explained to the contractor and that the results for this period are unsatisfactory. Mr. Hebert also indicated that payments to the contractor are current. Mr. Wise suggested inviting the contractor to the BlightStat meeting.

Mr. Wise indicated a Yale intern has done some work on performance contracting and this situation would be a good project for the intern to work on.

Mr. Ed Horan discussed the remaining FEMA trailers noting that 16 trailers remain. Mr. Kopplin told Mr. Horan that he wants the status of every FEMA trailer, what the city and code enforcement is doing to finalize this issue. Mr. Kopplin indicated that resets for FEMA hearings needs to end. He noted that the mayor said he would have them out by January and it is eight months beyond the deadline. He threw a benefit out to Mr. Horan stating that he doesn’t have to attend the BlightStat meetings once the FEMA trailers are gone.

Ms. Lear indicated that a big push is on for eradicating litter and bandit signs. She noted that enforcement is going to be tough now after giving out numerous warnings. She noted that any citizen can removed illegal signs and if brought to the Sanitation Department the owner will be called and cited if necessary.

Mr. Kopplin noted that enforcement is the key because like tire dumping, the bad behavior will continue until the perpetrator is cited.

Ms. Lear noted that 10,000 dumped tires have been picked up by the city. She indicated that citizen calls to NOPD have helped some tire dumpers get cited.

Ms. Wilkerson noted that no NORA closings were done this bi-weekly period. She noted that there have been some issues with code enforcement and the permit process. Mr. Kopplin suggested a private meeting between Mr. Horan and Ms. Wilkerson.

Ms. LeGrand from Lakeview indicated that large shipping containers on various properties are an issue in her neighborhood. A discussion ensued on how to remove these. Ms. LeGrand indicated that Safety and Permits has jurisdiction on these large shipping containers.

Answering a question from the audience, Ms. Wilkerson stated that NSP2 is a neighborhood stabilization program run by HUD (Housing and Urban Development). It’s focus is low income and rental properties as well as demolitions. More info at NORAWORKS.org
***
http://katrinafilm.com/public/wordpress/?p=2397
In an exclusive interview Charlie’s Neighborhood News has learned from a trusted source that the City of New Orleans will be giving Sign Bandits until September 12th to get their act together.

On September 12th the City of New Orleans will begin aggressively fining those who insist on placing signs on public property. To learn more about bandit signs and how you can help fight blight, please visit the link below:
http://business.fsjna.org/steps-to-stomp-out-blight/
***
http://katrinafilm.com/public/wordpress/?p=2397
***
Comment on FACEBOOK by Brad Vogel:
The city is talking about putting approximately 300 properties up for auction at sheriff sales prior to Thanksgiving of this year – that’s a momentous step. Several hundred buildings stand to get a new lease on life instead of being demoli…shed. Initial discussion envisions about 100 properties going to auction on Oct. 18. That date is designed to focus exclusively on city-initiated blight sales. There’s also the Sep. 10 NORA/LLT auction coming up – which will feature about 100 Road Home properties. So get ready to bid this fall. Auctions may not be a panacea for the city’s blight problem, but they’re certainly part of a better way forward.
***

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

WHEN: Thursday, September 8, 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 | August 11, 2011 | August 25, 2011

The Landrieu administration currently has a goal of removing 10,000 “units” of blight in 4 years. Units are individual apartments/condos or lots with blight.

A PDF of the City’s September 13, 2012 BLIGHTSTAT presentation.

Dr. Allison Plyer of the Greater New Orleans Community Data Center gave a presentation on growth in New Orleans neighborhoods.

Click on the graphics below for a larger view

If you live next to a blighted building or an overgrown lot in New Orleans your perception of the fight against blight may not be positive.

But, when you consider that the City of New Orleans’ BlightStat program has received acclaim both nationally and internationally, that may mitigate your frustration a bit.

However, if your neighborhood is still suffering from the effects of Hurricane Katrina with blighted housing and overgrown lots in abundance, all those accolades are meaningless. You just want the problem to go away.

I’ve been to all 34 BlightStat meetings since November, 2010 and I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt that the people at the table in these BlightStat meetings are passionate and purposeful in their desire to have New Orleans continue to grow, prosper and be blight-free.

THERE ARE ONLY 2, yes I said 2 lawyers to do the actual research in order to file writs on thousands of cases.

Click here to view a PDF of the full presentation of the 34th BlightStat meeting held on May 10, 2012

BlightStat 34 | May 10, 2012

BlightStat 32 | March 8, 2012

BlightStat 31

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE CITY’s NEW and IMPROVED BLIGHTSTAT PRESENTATION.

I am worried this could become a dumping ground for stolen cars or other crimes because it is a quiet area where these things never happen.

Many thanks to Dean Burridge for first reporting the burned car on January 27th and for meeting with Mr. Crane about 1549 Verna.

Click here to view a PDF of the City’s January 12, 2012 BlightStat presentation.

by Charlie London

BlightStat 29 | December 15, 2011

CLICK HERE TO VIEW A PDF of the CITY’s December 1, 2011 BlightStat presentation.

It’s been one year since the city invited the public to attend the BlightStat meetings. Today’s meeting was the 26th BlightStat meeting that the public was invited to attend.

Click HERE for the City’s September 22, 2011 BlightStat presentation

Click here to view the City’s 21st public BlightStat presentation.

The Landrieu administration currently has a goal
of removing 10,000 “units” of blight in 4 years.
Units are individual apartments/condos or lots with blight.

Click here to view a PDF of the City’s
January 12, 2012 BlightStat presentation.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW A PDF of the
CITY’s December 1, 2011 BlightStat presentation.

Click HERE for the City’s September 22, 2011
BlightStat presentation