CC MINUTES 03241998 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

City Council Regular Meeting Minutes • March 24, 1998 Page 14 1 F. Ordinance Enforcement. 2 Cavanaugh stated he had asked that this item be placed on the agenda because he has looked at 3 the City and is not happy. There is an epidemic of signs. Relators are placing their signs in the 4 right-of-way and banding them to bus stops with plastic banding. Some have been left there for 5 weeks. 6 Cavanaugh stated the question is how the community addresses the ordinance enforcement issue. 7 He noted that a map showing property appreciation in North Minneapolis and St. Anthony 8 provided by Commissioner Stenglein shows that the-trailer courts have had zero appreciation in 9 the last several years. 10 Cavanaugh stated that as you enter St. Anthony on Kenzie Terrace the first store you see has a 11 sign on the side of the building that is smashed. As you continue the first lot has an abandoned 12 car, the next a car and a truck parked on the grass and junk piled around, and the next lot has a 13 green davenport and chair and the condition of the lot is unbelievable. Autumn Woods has a rent 14 sign hanging on the sidewalk. Northgate's refuse containers are broke down and on the second 15 floor all the windows are rotted. At the Stonehouse the garbage cans sit out and the alley has 16 containers laying all over the place. Cavanaugh described that as traveling down the alley between Kenzie and the residential area 18 there are two trailers parked on the grass, a car that has been parked in the yard for so long that 19 there is firewood stacked around it, two cars with expired tabs—one from 1991 and one 20 September 1997 and both with flat tires, and lastly a junkyard with a pile that Staff describes as a 21 breeding ground for rats. 22 Cavanaugh indicated that along 291 Avenue there is a car parked in the middle of the house on 23 the grass and the house has not been maintained. Along Silver Lake Road there are trucks with 24 expired tabs, cars parked in the mud, and houses in need of work. At Apache Plaza there are 25 beanie baby signs everywhere that look like they were drawn by a fourth grader. The property at 26 2919 Silver Lane has multiple violations including snowmobiles parked in the yard, cars parked 27 with expired tabs,the possibility of a business being run there and junk piled along the side. 28 Cavanaugh asked what it would take for the community to realize that this problem is a serious 29 one and that the City government has the principle responsibility of enforcement. The City is not 30 setting a good example by allowing the car to trespass on their own property at Kenzie Terrace. 31 He stated that steps need to be taken to bring these violations to a stop. This is very distressing. 32 Mayor Ranallo stated he agreed and he had tried to deal with this issue four years ago but at the 33 last minute had not received support from fellow Councilmembers.