Program could get staff boost

Council to consider hiring more workers for housing maintenance code enforcement

“I think everybody is finally onboard to saywewant to address this problem, butwe’re at capacity.”

— Lorain Safety-Service Director Dan Given

Lorain City Hall could add a half dozen workers to ramp up property maintenance code en- forcement, according to legislation under consideration by City Council.

The city would hire new inspectors, court staff and administrative assistants to boost the number of inspections and housing docket cases coming through Lorain Municipal Court, according to plans.

City Council has scheduled a Finance & Claims Committee meeting for March 11 to discuss the legislation, which was introduced as part of the agenda for the March 4 regular meeting.

The details are not entirely new.

In October 2018, Council’s Finance & Claims Committee first heard of a potential $125,000 price tag for the housing maintenance program. Then, Law Director Pat Riley estimated the cost of additional people and supplies needed to boost the housing docket from 150 cases a month to 500.

The legislation did not include a final tally of costs for 2019.

However, it said all positions except those in the offices of the Lorain Municipal Court judges have been incorporated into the 2019 permanent budget.

The new jobs would include three staff in the office of the judges: a magistrate, a process server and an incourt aide. The three would be considered part-time with no benefits.

The Law Department would hire an administrative staff person.

The mayor’s administration would hire two housing support staff workers who would be members of the Lorain Police Department Auxiliary for the sole purpose of enforcing housing and building code violations in the city, according to the legislation. They would work for and be paid by the city Department of Building, Housing and Planning.

The relevant legislation includes an appropriation for more money for the judges to pay for the jobs and an ordinance to reorganize the auxiliary police for the newjobs.

In the past, Lorain elected officials, staff and residents all have expressed frustration about real or perceived levels of enforcement of city regulations, including rules for house and building exterior maintenance.

TheOctober 2018 meeting set the stage for Lorainites to expect city inspectors to look at their homes for peeling paint, missing railings, falling down porches, holes in the rooftops and the like.

“I think everybody is finally on board to say we want to address this problem, but we’re at capacity,” Lorain Safety-Service Director Dan Given at the time. “I think it sends the wrong message for us to scale it back now and say OK, we’re not going to be aggressive about it. Because what that does, it sends a message to the staff, it sends a message to the community that we’re still not serious about going after the the blight, the dirt and the problems within the neighborhoods.”

The Finance and Claims Committee is scheduled to meet starting at 6 p.m. March 11 at City Hall, 200 W. Erie Ave., Lorain.