Apparently not even the all-powerful 8^th Council District office can produce results for basic city services in Germantown , a departure from past experience.  The Department of Licenses inspections, responsible for building codes and enforcement, will not take responsibility any longer it seems for buildings abandoned or damaged despite numerous calls and reports from citizens, community organizations and even the councilwoman’s office.

 

While there may be many examples of this type of neglect, one particular issue on West Washington Lane became the focus of continuing efforts by the local community organization, the long-established Pomona-Cherokee Civic Council.

 

Following a fire over a year ago, calls were made by individuals and officers of the community group to L & I attempting to get them to secure the building which now could be easily entered by door and window openings on the first floor.  On a monthly basis, or with even more frequency, follow-up calls, including the forwarding of photos of the damaged building produced nothing other than reference to the fact that they had it on file and knew the owner. One year later, that is small consolation when the quality of life of the community is at risk.

 

In frustration I telephoned the Council Office and spoke with Michael Moore, recently appointed public relations manager for Councilwoman Donna Reed Miller and explained the situation.  To his credit he called L & I and obtained a reference number for the complaint, but no action whatsoever since early December.  Follow up phone calls apparently went to L & I, but I am now informed by the Council Office that they cannot influence compliance with the neighborhood’s request.  I use the world compliance intentionally as that is the term L & I uses frequently when they want residents to correct violations, and in this case the City is negligent and has blatantly ignored its responsibility for a significant period of time.

 

The result has been a motion, passed by the Pomona-Cherokee Civic Council to measure the openings, buy the plywood, and secure the buildings with community funds and volunteer labor.  A sad commentary when a community group has to subsidize the city that is planning to raise taxes on everyone.  Well, that would be almost everyone; those buying new rehabs are still getting 10-year abatement on their real estate taxes.

 

At the same time other properties in Germantown and within the Pomona-Cherokee district need follow-up and attention, and one wonders what it may take to implement them when this remains unresolved.  How does a city that admits to a half a billion, yes that is Billion with a “B”, in uncollected real estate taxes, many owed by insider cronies and connected businesses, continue to neglect essential services while it spends hundreds of thousands on colored lights for City Hall and the like?

 

One-by-one powerful insiders are being outed in the continuing federal corruption investigations.  The pattern is clear and the old tried and true formula of keeping the public satisfied with crumbs, while a few reap most of the benefits from the taxpaying public continues.  Until recently, departments and political offices at least responded when pressure was brought from multiple sources.  Apparently that no longer works. 

 

Residents should remember that at election time.

 

Jim Foster

Vice President

Pomona-Cherokee Civic Council

Germantown

 

p.s. As fate would have it, two days after this commentary was printed in the Germantown Courier and Mt. Airy Times, L & I brought a team of men to seal that building.