A friend of mine sent me a report f rom the Homewood Community Partners Initiative, July 2012 statement as outlined in their general report.
"b. The only effective way to provide public safety, coverage in the area is the employment of off-duty, uni-formed Baltimore City police officers. These could be deployed initially in the critical corridors, in slective strategic crime areas or throughout the CVCBD by employing targetet patrols, depending on the resources available." (A group of residents suggested this at the last hearing of the CVCBD budget, eliminating some of sanitation employees since much of the work is duplicative work that should be accomplished by the City and residents of this community. A resident is responsible for maintaing the area around his/her property by law, so the CVCBD doing this work only means that they are doing what we as residents should already be doing. The CVCBD fought this idea repeatedly since sanitation represented a basis to show the City what they achieved by the number of bags they collected.)
"c. Public space cleanliness and attractiveness could reach the level desired by all parties in HCPI if CVCBD could increase the number of its sanitation workers by 50 percent and include the capacity to manage illegal dumping." (If the CVCBD accomplished supplemental maintenance as mandated by the legislation enacting them, they would not require any additional sanitation workers and the HCPI boundaries exceed that of the CVCBD's boundaries. It does not include many of the areas represented in the HCPI; Remington being one.)
To achieve the goal that is outlined above, please consider the budget that is contemplated for the CVCBD, "a complete package of expanded services would require an additional annual contribution to CVCBD of roughly $1.5 million, for a total budget of $2.5 million." There is no indication as to where they expect to get this increase from, but we understand that JHU had mentioned that they would consider a one time allocation of $1.5 million in order to accomplish this goal, but then what happens thereafter? Are you as a resident or business owner of this community prepared to pay an additional 310% more in surtaxes to cover these salaries, in addition to the planned and much heralded trolley (really light rail) that will run up North Charles Street and down St. Paul Street at a cost that they suggest would amount to $150,000,000, but in actuality would more than likely cost $350,000,000.? How will this impact your costs to live in Charles Village or for that matter the City of Baltimore? With this one time allocation, are the residents of this community supposed to now maintain the properties of absentee landlords? If it becomes difficult for members in this community to get businesses to comply with the NCVPUD, are we setting a basis for future filth? What is really contained in this message? Since when do you resolve issues by making residents pay for services that are really supposed to be done by other fellow residents and businesses and institutions? Also rather than attempt to increase their baggage numbers, the CVCBD should perform the required supplemental services under their legislation. I think that the HCPI should rethink their ideas a little more in order to work with the City of Baltimore to ensure that we get as required by the Baseline Agreement with the City exactly what we, as taxpayers are entitled to. Don't you?
http://web.jhu.edu/adminstration/president/about/communications/pdfs/HCPI%20Report-mod-1-2-2013.pdf
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Sunday, March 24, 2013
Baltimore City Public Works Calendar
I don't usually peruse the "Baltimore City Public Works Calendar" but neighbors and I have become very interested lately in the proper maintenance of private, business and institutional properties in our community as their conditions are abysmal.
If you have a copy of this document, please refer to "Curbside Collection" where you will note that the City outlines in a clear format guidelines as to what constitutes "Recycling" and "Waste". On this page, they suggest that recycling should be placed in the yellow cans which are easily available at most hardware stores as I purchased one from Ace on 33rd Street, without any difficulty, but they advise you as well that, "1. Use any container you want except PLASTIC BAGS. Use paper bags, cardboard, old laundry baskets or trashcans. Just mark it: RECYCLING. 2. Start simple - paper, cans and bottles! and lastly 3. Put out all the recycling you want - NO LIMIT! NO LIMIT!" I would like to add a caveat here and that is if you use a paper bag, try to make sure that it is properly closed at the top to keep your product within from flying around the community.
Now if you would kindly turn to the month of MARCH 2013, you will note a drawing of a family of rats (just the same that we have here in our community) feasting on improperly disposed trash. However, aside from the unique drawing, there are guidelines to follow which are easy to follow, which are:
Rats are a serious health threat and can cause property damage.
"Know the signs of rat infestation
1. Look for burrows (holes) near sidewalk edges (very predominant on the Safeway parking lot and entrance to the store) under bushes, along your home's foundation and in your basement.
2. Look for gnawing marks (chewing) around doors, windows, plumbing and electrical outlets.
3. Look for their pathways usually along walls and in hidden areas -- telltale signs are greasy track marks and dark colored droppings.
Know how to keep rats away from your home:
1. Always use a durable trash can with a tight-fitting lid. It's the law and keeps rats away from food sources. Don't invite rats, to your home for dinner by storing your trash in plastic bags!
2. Don't leave pet food sitting out and always clean up your pet's waste -- both are food for rats.
3. Remove old furniture, vehicles and appliances from your property -- they give rats a place to hide and nest.
4. Keep grass and weeks cut -- tall grass and weeds are a hiding place for rats.
5. Seal cracks and holes around your foundation, doors and windows - a half-inch hole is big enough to allow a rate into your home.
Call 311 to request Rat Control Services."
The guide also states "Please Keep Alleys Clean" which is important in that if the alleys are not clean the rats will come on and into your property."
From the above you can see that the demands of the City are reasonable, responsible and represents what any one with a lick of sense would do in combating the issue governing the property disposal of trash to not only make the areas around our homes, businesses and institutions look clean by safe from an exploding rat population. We neighbors have provided photographic evidence of a continuance of problems within this area of ours and despite repeated proof that these disgusting conditions continue, nothing serious is getting done to eliminate the problem. People don't seem to care and those of us who do are deemed to be crazies engaged in a futile attempt.
One last note on the seriousness of these conditions which is from the calendar, which states: "In 2011, the Bureau of Solid Waste cleaned 18,623 dirty alleys as a result from citizen service requests to 311 and proactively cleaned 3,090 of them."
On average, the City spends $10 million to clean streets and alleys. Instead of having to clean all of these alleys residents, businesses and institutions should want to clean them as prudent residents of this city and then possibly the $10 million could be used for feeding the 1,700 children who are homeless in this city. There are also laws on the books that require the proper disposal of garbage which need to be followed.
Think about it and the next time you put out your trash or recycling follow the simple rules that the City has so that funds can be spent more wisely. Don't forget, piles of garbage indicate a neighborhood in decline because no one cares.
If you have a copy of this document, please refer to "Curbside Collection" where you will note that the City outlines in a clear format guidelines as to what constitutes "Recycling" and "Waste". On this page, they suggest that recycling should be placed in the yellow cans which are easily available at most hardware stores as I purchased one from Ace on 33rd Street, without any difficulty, but they advise you as well that, "1. Use any container you want except PLASTIC BAGS. Use paper bags, cardboard, old laundry baskets or trashcans. Just mark it: RECYCLING. 2. Start simple - paper, cans and bottles! and lastly 3. Put out all the recycling you want - NO LIMIT! NO LIMIT!" I would like to add a caveat here and that is if you use a paper bag, try to make sure that it is properly closed at the top to keep your product within from flying around the community.
Now if you would kindly turn to the month of MARCH 2013, you will note a drawing of a family of rats (just the same that we have here in our community) feasting on improperly disposed trash. However, aside from the unique drawing, there are guidelines to follow which are easy to follow, which are:
Rats are a serious health threat and can cause property damage.
"Know the signs of rat infestation
1. Look for burrows (holes) near sidewalk edges (very predominant on the Safeway parking lot and entrance to the store) under bushes, along your home's foundation and in your basement.
2. Look for gnawing marks (chewing) around doors, windows, plumbing and electrical outlets.
3. Look for their pathways usually along walls and in hidden areas -- telltale signs are greasy track marks and dark colored droppings.
Know how to keep rats away from your home:
1. Always use a durable trash can with a tight-fitting lid. It's the law and keeps rats away from food sources. Don't invite rats, to your home for dinner by storing your trash in plastic bags!
2. Don't leave pet food sitting out and always clean up your pet's waste -- both are food for rats.
3. Remove old furniture, vehicles and appliances from your property -- they give rats a place to hide and nest.
4. Keep grass and weeks cut -- tall grass and weeds are a hiding place for rats.
5. Seal cracks and holes around your foundation, doors and windows - a half-inch hole is big enough to allow a rate into your home.
Call 311 to request Rat Control Services."
The guide also states "Please Keep Alleys Clean" which is important in that if the alleys are not clean the rats will come on and into your property."
From the above you can see that the demands of the City are reasonable, responsible and represents what any one with a lick of sense would do in combating the issue governing the property disposal of trash to not only make the areas around our homes, businesses and institutions look clean by safe from an exploding rat population. We neighbors have provided photographic evidence of a continuance of problems within this area of ours and despite repeated proof that these disgusting conditions continue, nothing serious is getting done to eliminate the problem. People don't seem to care and those of us who do are deemed to be crazies engaged in a futile attempt.
One last note on the seriousness of these conditions which is from the calendar, which states: "In 2011, the Bureau of Solid Waste cleaned 18,623 dirty alleys as a result from citizen service requests to 311 and proactively cleaned 3,090 of them."
On average, the City spends $10 million to clean streets and alleys. Instead of having to clean all of these alleys residents, businesses and institutions should want to clean them as prudent residents of this city and then possibly the $10 million could be used for feeding the 1,700 children who are homeless in this city. There are also laws on the books that require the proper disposal of garbage which need to be followed.
Think about it and the next time you put out your trash or recycling follow the simple rules that the City has so that funds can be spent more wisely. Don't forget, piles of garbage indicate a neighborhood in decline because no one cares.
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