Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Columbia council orders crackdown on code violations

Columbia Borough Council is making sure that enforcing the law is a priority and that borough departments have the resources they need to deal with violations.

MORE:
http://m.lancasteronline.com/columbia/news/columbia-council-orders-crackdown-on-code-violations/article_b64e4146-176c-11e4-af3c-0017a43b2370.html?mode=jqm

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

Here we go again, this is a big JOKE!! Code Violators are the section 8"s and other land lords. You have to have one and half parking for each unit, this is not happening at all. So lets crack down on this s...t!!

Anonymous said...

I agree!!

Anonymous said...

seriously??? this dept is so not accountable. WHERE is council? why is it pick and choose...and only certain people get cited?? where is the fairness and why am i paying for all these code officers and ALL they do is look for dog shit and high grass? i am not understanding how this dept is run. or not run.

Anonymous said...

good point. and this has been going on for way way too long. this dept is the biggest joke in the boro. no accountability. where is boro council and why do they allow this to continue year after year?? some say we don;t need a code dept. a lot of townships, etc do not. what do they actually do???? the ONLY thing they SHOULD do is concentrate on SERIOUS ISSUES LIKE SEWER ON SIDEWALK OR IN BASEMENT, UNSAFE STRUCTURE, this dept is broke.

Anonymous said...

The department is fine and the system is fine. They give letters and fines out every week. If you see a problem, talk to your favorite council person and they will make sure that the Code Department takes care of it. If you don't know a Council Person, then you probably didn't vote. If you didn't vote, you shouldn't be complaining about anything.

Anonymous said...

Remember the Golden Rule, those who have the GOLD makes the RULES!!

Anonymous said...

people should have a favorite council person?

Anonymous said...

The problem with the code dept is that its run by an unqualified individual. He had no background in bldg codes when he got the position. There are towns around us who have a very well run codes dept (Lanc City & Harrisburg) who have laws in place to make property owners obey the laws. There procedures have the power in the end to take the property if after repeated citations they don't correct the problem. Not like Cola that has properties where the condemned sign rots off the door.

Anonymous said...

yep it IS broke and it MUST be fixed. now. and your joking right??? yes there IS something VERY wrong with codes. and yes i did vote! and no i don't have a favorite council person....most have nothing to say and most just go along with the rest. spineless.

Anonymous said...

The codes department is very effective. If you see a specific problem , talk to any Council Person and they will talk to one of the code guys and the problem will be addressed. The code problems are so complex and so extensive that it is impossible for the codes department to demand hat every thing is up to code in this town. So, they are in a rut of responding to people above them. Most of what they do is because someone above them put a bug in their ear. If you want a problem addressed you need to talk to one of the higher ups

Anonymous said...

Boy that's an effective system.
Mark my word, with the condition of some of these properties, & the amount of people living in each unit, there will be a greater amount of fires. The kind of repairs to the electrical, & plumbing some of these big landlords are doing or not fixing is a disaster waiting to happen. This codes dept has no idea or doesn't want to try & fight some of these big co. that own rentals in this town. The codes dept in this town is just a huge waste of taxpayer money

Anonymous said...

yes the codes dept is a HUGE waste of our hard earned money. now we need to tell council that!

Anonymous said...

" the code department doesn't want to try & fight some of these big companies. that own rentals in this town "

Why should they waste time and money fighting investors when they can call them and tell them what to do ? Actually, the big companies are pretty willing to do what they are told to do ! , because the big companies are smart enough to know that the Codes Department can bring them to their knees in a heart beat.

The Columbia Codes Department his hounding big companies every day and with excellent results. Believe it or not, our tax dollars are actually making a difference !!

CG

Anonymous said...

Why pick on the little people. Its all who you are in this town. Its not that hard to see who owns section 8"s. I know 2 bedroom unit that 8 people live in it!! What the Hell!!

Anonymous said...

what world do YOU live in???? our codes dept is a sick joke. truly. depends o who you are....harass the same small people over and over...ignore the slumlords. something is DEFINITELY wrong with this picture!

Anonymous said...

If something is as wrong with the codes department as you say, then that same something is wrong with the people that hire the codes people, and something is wrong with the people that vote ( or don't vote) for the people that hire the codes people. It just can't be all that wrong.

Anonymous said...

it IS wrong. has been for years. time for council to make it accountable.

Anonymous said...

the codes dept is the joke of the boro...AND they want to hire ANOTHER one. people NEED to attend council mtgs...even if its the committee of the whole mtgs on the 4th monday.
just like people need to attend the school board mtgs....none of them get it....this Boro MUST ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY JOIN WITH ANOTHER DISTRICT....weather they want to or not. period.