Smith: we can’t get the windows fixed. We’re trying to work with certain programs.
There are things I can do but they will take time. As far as the cleaning I left it up to
the 10 people living there, it is their house. If you want to give me 2 days I can write up
a plan and submit it.
Moermond: any other comments before I give you mine?
Duncan: when Department of Safety & Inspections I came in the first time you couldn’t
even walk through the house. It was not safe and I know that. I’m at fault for that
because I should have been harder on the people that were living here to help keep it
clean. I should have been harder on myself to get up and do stuff that I normally
cannot do, just to make sure my house is in good condition. However, since then we
have scrubbed all the floors and most of the walls. Gotten rid of tons of garbage which
Richard could vouch for. We’ve been trying to decrease as much stuff that doesn’t
belong in the house that we can to make it set up as an actual house, not just a pigsty
and a playpen for garbage. I do want to be somewhere with my kids. I do want
somewhere safe with my kids. I know I’ve really messed up and I’m trying to do better.
I am sorry.
Moermond: no need to apologize. When I originally got the appeal on this
condemnation and order to vacate, there were a number of things that were seriously
concerning and we talked about those and put first the heat being restored and if that
happened we could continue on a work plan to address the other issues remaining so
they wouldn’t have to be done instantly, but still get done. In the past couple of weeks,
I’ve been looking at whether substantial improvements have been made and then a
work plan. I really needed that and I needed the inspectors able to see progress when
they came out. I get some things were removed, but I also heard from House Calls
that their free dumpster wasn’t used at all. Then I look at pictures and see garbage
bags on the exterior of the property and I’m thinking that was hundreds of dollars in
public money for you and that it didn’t happen is disappointing. That really speaks
more to the plan and how we get things done than current circumstances. If I look at a
snapshot in time, conditions right now, which is the thing I need to look at to make a
determination about whether this is a safe, healthy environment for people –adults or
children. That’s my concern. I have got feedback about the likelihood of you being
able to maintain things moving forward and that isn’t good. I’ve heard from you that
there are disability issues impacting the ability to get this property clean and safe and
maintain it moving forward. I can’t consider that when I look at this, aside from how it
may influence a work plan. Is it, right now, safe for people to be living in? How can we
work on that and the probability of it getting better based on active steps taken.
Despite your needing assistance, I also don’t hear any legal guardian in place to take
over official decision-making for the property. You are the responsible party. I
understand its hard for you, but I can only focus on the health and safety of the
property. When I look at the photos and we just emailed you a police report from
January 2, and the photos, I have to say the sanitation issues are really bad. You are
mopping the floor the morning of an inspection and it appears to be the first step taken
to clean. I find the property to be in a state of extreme dilapidation and interior
damage. It is very unsanitary. One could consider that the illnesses experiences could
be connected to the sanitation issues. You have over the legal number of animals in
the property. I have given you every opportunity I would give others in this situation. In
my mind I treated this fairly, given an opportunity to continue to be there and take
steps to get it habitable. This isn’t a safe house to live in and there’s no imminent end
in sight. I just don’t think this is tenable right now, not doable. My recommendation to
the Council is the property be vacated by noon on Friday. The Council may look at it
differently, you can definitely testify. You now have the police report. Animal control
has to be notified. Child protective services has to be notified. Police have concerns
about the safety of the property, particularly the children. I spoke with Officer Perez
