Residents Tell City Council They Want Something Done About Problem Neighbors

Several Pearl Street residents took a neighborhood problem to Bradford City Council Tuesday night.

Kevin Caldwell told council he and many of his neighbors are fed up with the 17 people living in a single-family house at 41 Pearl.

He said the neighbors are concerned about cleanliness, safety and noise. Among the problems, he said, are that the people sleep all day and stay up all night making noise.

“When you’re going to work (in the morning), they’re still on the porch partying,” Caldwell said.

“I wouldn’t want to live next to it,” said code enforcement officer Mike Cleveland. But he added that there are never any major code violations when he visits the house and the violations he has found, they managed to fix.

“I feel for ya,” Cleveland said.

Police Chief Chris Lucco added he is “more familiar with the situation than I’d like to be,” adding that he did an emergency welfare check and found that every person had a bed and “the house was cleaner than many, many, many houses I’ve been in.”

He said he and Cleveland are “doing everything within our legal ability that can be done. If they’re sliding under the radar because of what the laws are … Our hands are tied.”

Lucco said one of the problems the police have is that no one seems to want to be the complaining witness it, for example, a disorderly conduct complaint.

Caldwell said he would be willing to be the witness

Mayor Tom Riel added that he hopes the publicity will force the landlord to take some action.

“It’s wrong … to allow this to happen in your neighborhood,” Riel said.

Also Tuesday, council

• Appointed Joe Spencer and Christopher Spaich from probationary part time firefighters to temporary firefighters
• Authorized the city to execute a management agreement with Bradford Township for the OECD to administer the township’s 2013 CDBG program
• Authorized payment of an additional $3,000 to CARE for Children to help with additional costs related to the removal of a propane storage tank and pipe on OECD property that is to be transferred to CARE
• Approved a resolution authorizing benefits for properties in the Keystone Opportunity Improvement Zone.

You can listen to the entire council meeting here

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