Councilwoman Meldrum calls it a “naughty list”
By Barb Pert Templeton
Pages of documents related to ordinance violations and permit applications are always included in the consent agenda portion of the Algonac City Council meeting packets and the recent Jan. 21 meeting was no exception.
While officials generally approve the consent agenda without much discussion this time out new council member Wendy Meldrum posed a few questions about the documents.
Meldrum asked why addresses are included in the inspection list provided by the code enforcement officer and also asked the same thing related to the list of monthly building permits.
“Is there a reason why we have addresses on there, not really so much the violation but the address itself?” Meldrum asked. City Manager Denice Gerstenberg said she wasn’t sure what Meldrum was asking.
“You mean you don’t think we should have the addresses on there?” Gerstenberg said. “They’ve always been on there.”
“I don’t think on the inspection list, as far as code violations, that we have to reference an address,” Meldrum replied.
She said the software being used does allow things to be broken down to type of violation and what steps were taken and it will assign a number but there’s no need to include an address.
The Algonac City Council meets on the first and third Tuesdays of each month at 6 p.m.
“I don’t know that it’s even important for us to know,” Meldrum said. “Because we have a code enforcement officer who enforces these and checks on these, I don’t feel there’s a need to put an address with a violation; do you members feel that you need to know who’s in violation?”
Councilwoman Cathy Harris asked if Meldrum was saying that she didn’t need an address until the matter reaches the courts.
“I don’t even know,” Meldrum said. “My personal opinion is that what we’re creating here is naughty list, I don’t like seeing somebody’s address on here that they’re in violation of something, because that’s something that’s between them and the city not them and the whole city.”
As long as code enforcement is doing their follow-ups on the issue that’s all the council really needs to know, she added.
Meldrum said she feels the same about the building permits, does everyone really need to know that someone’s getting a new garage or putting in new windows.
Mayor Pro Tem Dawn Davey said putting the addresses on the building permits paperwork saves aggravation for the staff at city hall.
“You’re going to have some guy calling and saying I want to know if that guy got a permit for his windows,” Davey said. “I don’t see an issue for putting in an address for permits.”
Councilman Michael Bembas asked if Gerstenberg knows how other cities handle the issue.
“Everybody does them sort of differently, it’s just the council’s preferences to how they want to see it, there was a time when the council wanted to have more detail so if you want that changed you just have to let me know,” Gerstenberg said.
Bembas said he likes the reports because he likes to see who the city’s giving permits to. Without the detailed reports he said he’d probably be at the city offices asking for the information weekly, driving the staff crazy.
“There’s pros and cons to it, I think before we make a decision, I think we all need to take time and think about it, not be too hasty,” Bembas said. “Council member Meldrum has some good points, I’m not sure I agree with them or not.”
Gillis said he’d like to have the city staff share their opinions on it too.
Gerstenberg agreed to look into the issue and bring the information back to the council.
“If you look at other communities and the documents they provide, it’s very limited, we are very transparent,” Gerstenberg added.
