Monday, March 12, 2007

CHARLIE HARSHFIELD


CANDIDATE FOR 3rd DISTRICT COUNCILMAN


PLATFORM


GOAL: Enhance and expand Code Enforcement in all areas, including a Rental Inspection Program.

Action: Do research on other cities successful with code enforcement to find answers applicable to New Albany’s current situation. Utilize the resources and research previously provided by neighborhood forums.


GOAL: Work to maintain Historic Preservation and Revitalization of downtown.

Action: Keep open communication with the New Albany Historic Preservation Commission, and make every effort to participate in available preservation programs.


GOAL: Examine the feasibility of a City Court.

Action: Research other city courts to find answers for New Albany. Utilize the resources and research previously provided by neighborhood forums. Explore budgets and work with the code enforcement department.


GOAL: Promote Neighborhood Associations.

Action: Attend neighborhood meetings as much as possible, especially when invited. Address issues, participate in projects, and promote goings-on throughout the district to other city officials and the media.


GOAL: Study Street Department issues in relation to regular trash/debris pick up and disposal.

Action: Discover exactly what issues/challenges face the Street Department with its ability to adhere to a regular schedule. Work with the department and the budget to eliminate these challenges.


GOAL: Work to make the city of New Albany a more viable, receptive location for businesses, as well as new economic development.

Action: Take a hard look at tax abatements. Should a company apply and be granted a tax abatement, there should be a commitment from the company to give back to the city. Should commitments not be met, there should be consequences. Not only will incoming tax money from these businesses be put to use improving the city, the improvements will draw more business development to our community.

GOAL: Encourage all citizens to communicate their issues and concerns to their council representatives and City Hall. Expect or demand more than the status quo.

Action: By establishing regular town hall meetings, I will be accessible and I will listen to everyone. We are all equal and entitled to be heard. In addition to being reachable by phone and email, I will hold monthly or quarterly district forums.

7 comments:

All4Word said...

What might be unfeasible about a city court? If Jeffersonville and Clarksville can adequately support a city judge and court, what makes you think it's not feasible here?

I would think that with all the research and discussion that has taken place over the past two years you could declare a preference and announce how you would vote vis a vis a city court.

Would you agree to introduce an ordinance to create the same? Would you be willing to sink the startup costs for the court over the next four years? Do you believe a city court can be created prior to 2012?

Jeff Gillenwater said...

One of the issues that would need to be addressed in the consideration of a city court is the enforcement of ordinances not related to property.

Currently, when the NAPD writes a ticket for a moving violation, the majority of the money goes to the state and the county court system. Even though New Albany provides the labor and equipment to make the citation possible, we only receive approximately $2.50 of a $120 ticket. In other words, we're losing money each time a ticket is written.

Tacking fines onto property taxes is a more attractive option than liens for collection. Liens aren't paid until the property is sold, meaning that the landlord might not be held accountable for the violation for years to come, while still profiting from the substandard property. The increase in property values over time, even for substandard properties, would offset the lien somewhat, making it less of a penalty.

A rental licensing program, in which properties would have to pass inspection in order to receive or renew a license to rent, could give the city the authority to evict tenants from non-licensed properties, meaning there would be no landlord income from that property until violations were corrected. That may provide greater motivation to correct problems or sell than even a more stringent fine system.

Making that license/inspection program fee-based would generate revenue that would help the program be at least partially self-supporting, outside of fine collection.

It would also make the inspection process uniform, objective, and all-inclusive, effectively moving us away from our currently very subjective complaint-based system.

Jeff Gillenwater said...

The trick here is to set these things up in a comprehensive manner, backed by a city council willing to fund and a mayor willing to make it a priority.

Choir nods collective head...

All4Word said...

Brandon's analysis of court revenues is sound, but missing one critical element. Courts aren't designed to raise revenue, but to fund enforcement. If fines create the resources to add staff to the city clerk's office and the OEO staff, not to mention traffic officers, who will object to a court "losing" money.

$10,000 a year in net surplus isn't relevant. If that's on $200,000 in fines, then it only funds the operations of the court. If it's on $2 million, it creates an enforcement regime with teeth.

I continue to maintain that any four of us, untrained and unsworn but theoretically authorized, could generate citations equalling $1 million. Hell, I could do that if I were deputized to enforce the speed limits on Spring Street.

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More importantly, where is Charlie's answer to this question?

All4Word said...

...and if anyone thinks I'm picking on Charlie, know that I put the question to other candidate blogs, too. My quibble with Charlie's platform is the implication that a court isn't feasible. Why not?

Charlie Harshfield said...

In response to all4word,

I am not evading you or your question. My statement about exploring the feasibility of a city court means just that. I didn't say it was unfeasible, if that was my thinking I would have never made the comment. I know there has been some research into other areas that have city courts but I think I or we need to look into it in more depth for our own particular needs. I will support whatever it takes to put some teeth into our present code enforcement program. I am not a proponent of property tax liens because they have no immediate impact on the offender. I think in these situations you get peoples attention by $ signs. If one knows they will be fined x number of dollars per day or offense and they also know there is a means to collect those fines, whether it be a city court or other system they will more readily adhere to what must be done.

Thanks for your comments.

na girl said...

My understanding is that the courts that we presently have in Floyd county are over capacity and that another court is needed just to help them deal with the current case load.