FeedsWestland gets proactive on blight
Westland will get a lot tougher on blight enforcement will a new plan implemented last week.
In response to numerous complaints, according to Mayor Bill Wild, officials have adopted a new program which uses the five full-time city building inspectors to assist the ordinance officer in citing blighted buildings.
The building officers will continue to perform their usual duties in the morning, but during the afternoons, they will respond to complaints about blighted areas and buildings in the city.
Wild said that the on-going influx of complaints from residents made the need for change clear.
“We take complaints in the building office on blight-related issues on a daily basis,” said Wild.
In the past, he said, the matter had fallen on one full-time ordinance enforcement officer to cover the 22-square mile city.
By altering the way existing city staff are scheduled, Wild said that the new program provides additional enforcement officers without additional costs and offers residents a faster response time in which to have their concerns addressed. The city was divided into five regions and each of the building officers has been assigned to handle a specific area.
According to Westland Building Department Director Sue Dodson, in addition to helping improve the community, the switch has also helped keep the staff intact.
“Permits are down, so the number of inspections they have to do has gone down,” she said. “It’s really a way to preserve jobs.”
In addition to responding to citizen complaints, inspectors will also patrol their respective district to look for and resolve ordinance related issues before complaints are made.
“Overall, we’re going to try to be a little more proactive,” said Wild.
The inspectors involved in the program will focus on five issues in particular that have been a growing concern due to number of unoccupied and foreclosed homes in the community: high grass and property maintenance, blight, abandoned autos, swimming pool upkeep, and rodents.
“This is ultimately about protecting the property values of Westland residents,” said Wild. “In the wake of this nation-wide foreclosure epidemic, maintaining clean, safe neighborhoods will play an essential role in attracting prospective buyers to these homes.”In addition, Wild said that by having one person in a particular area day after day could benefit the community by helping to bolster a good working relationship with the people of that area.
Dodson agreed, stressing that the program is primarily geared to address the problems that crop up in vacant and foreclosed properties and that any residents who do receive a warning for a blight related issue, such as tall weeds or an abandoned automobile, don’t need to worry about being ticketed as long as the problem is resolved in a timely fashion.
“We want compliance,” she said. “We want to keep property values up. Tickets are our last resort.”
Residents who wish to report a blighted home should contact the Westland Building Department at (734) 467-3210.
