Corignani: If You Have a Complaint, Call
By ANNE HOLLIDAY
WESB/WBRR News Director
Code enforcement officer George Corignani says if people have a problem with his department, all they have to do is call.
“We don’t have to come here every week and sit and trash code enforcement,” Corignani said during Tuesdays sometimes heated Bradford City Council meeting. “I mean, it’s just not getting anywhere.”
“If you have a problem, call us at our office. We’ll take care of it. And if you’re not satisfied then, there’s a problem. But we’re not getting any phone calls about any of this stuff,” he said, adding that he doesn’t know about some of the problems until after he reads about the council meetings every other Wednesday.
“I’m just trying to do my job and do it right. We can all do this together and work it out together because – Guess what? – I’m not going anywhere,” Corignani said.
“We’re not saying it’s you guys,” said Mayor Tom Riel. “We’re saying there’s a problem with the program.”
Councilman Jim Evans added that much of what’s been discussed at council meetings has come from citizens, who have brought it up time and time again.
“I understand, Mr. Evans, but why aren’t they calling us? They call us, we’ll do the job they ask,” Corignani said.
Riel said,”We need to get to a point where it’s not complaint driven. People shouldn’t have to rely on who calls it in and complains. There’s some frustration with that.”
“You don’t know how many things we take care of that people don’t see,” said code enforcement officer Merle Silvis.
“We are addressing a lot that people don’t know about it. I understand there are frustrations in this town,” he said. “We have a lot of substandard housing and it’s getting worse and worse, and we’re trying to stick our finger in the dike and make it better.”
“We’re doing the best we can. I understand people’s frustration. I’m frustrated. George is frustrated,” Silvis said.
“We have to figure out how we can do more with less,” Riel said.
Earlier in the meeting, businessman John Kohler asked why the building on Marilyn Horne Way he talked about during the last council meeting hadn’t been taken care of.
Corignani said all the glass had been replaced.
“Absolutely wrong,” Kohler said, adding that he drove by right before the council meeting and glass is still on the ledge on the second floor.
"Every window that Mr. Kohler complained about being broke (during the) last council meeting has been replaced. There is not one broken window on that side of the building," Corignani said.
"I’m saying glass is laying right on the ledge – piles of busted glass," Kohler said. “The pigeon crap is still there, too ... the receptacles dangling off the back (are) still there. I just drove by there. I’m not making this up.”
“I’m not trying to pick on you,” Kohler said.
“I think you are,” Corignani said.
“We’ll go over there when the meeting’s over,” Kohler said, adding that they'll discuss they're findings during the next council meeting. “That ain’t pickin’ on ya. This is BS.”
When Corignani started to address Riel about being part of the problem instead of part of the solution, Riel asked city solicitor Mark Hollenbeck if it was appropriate for an employee of the city make that kind of comment to the mayor. Hollenbeck said it’s appropriate for city employees to ask questions about public safety issues.
Corignani said he wasn’t trying to be disrespectful to Riel or anyone on council.
“All I’m saying is that this has gone to the point where, instead of us having the solution to it, it’s all becoming a problem,” he said.
Later in the meeting, Corignani explained that it took almost a year for code enforcement to get where it is in the legal process. He said Cindy Master had been hired to go after money owed to the city through code enforcement. The “first round” of properties that went through the Board of Health were “held up” by the city’s special counsel Greg Henry. Master wrote the letters, and had to have Henry approve them before she could go on to the next step.
Last week, all the letters were sent out from the last Board of Health hearings. The fines against the property owners the letters were sent to totals $115,000 to $120,000.
He added that they have received some plea bargain proposals from some of the property owners, which will have to be discussed at the next Board of Health meeting. He said some people who have bills of $15,000 to $16,000 are offering to pay $6,000, $7,000 or $8,000, which is enough to tear a building down.
The last issue came up as council was considering transferring $9,000 from the code enforcement legal services account to the Elm Street Streetscape project. That will still leave code enforcement with a little less than $11,000 for legal services, which Corignani said should be plenty.
WESB/WBRR News Director
Code enforcement officer George Corignani says if people have a problem with his department, all they have to do is call.
“We don’t have to come here every week and sit and trash code enforcement,” Corignani said during Tuesdays sometimes heated Bradford City Council meeting. “I mean, it’s just not getting anywhere.”
“If you have a problem, call us at our office. We’ll take care of it. And if you’re not satisfied then, there’s a problem. But we’re not getting any phone calls about any of this stuff,” he said, adding that he doesn’t know about some of the problems until after he reads about the council meetings every other Wednesday.
“I’m just trying to do my job and do it right. We can all do this together and work it out together because – Guess what? – I’m not going anywhere,” Corignani said.
“We’re not saying it’s you guys,” said Mayor Tom Riel. “We’re saying there’s a problem with the program.”
Councilman Jim Evans added that much of what’s been discussed at council meetings has come from citizens, who have brought it up time and time again.
“I understand, Mr. Evans, but why aren’t they calling us? They call us, we’ll do the job they ask,” Corignani said.
Riel said,”We need to get to a point where it’s not complaint driven. People shouldn’t have to rely on who calls it in and complains. There’s some frustration with that.”
“You don’t know how many things we take care of that people don’t see,” said code enforcement officer Merle Silvis.
“We are addressing a lot that people don’t know about it. I understand there are frustrations in this town,” he said. “We have a lot of substandard housing and it’s getting worse and worse, and we’re trying to stick our finger in the dike and make it better.”
“We’re doing the best we can. I understand people’s frustration. I’m frustrated. George is frustrated,” Silvis said.
“We have to figure out how we can do more with less,” Riel said.
Earlier in the meeting, businessman John Kohler asked why the building on Marilyn Horne Way he talked about during the last council meeting hadn’t been taken care of.
Corignani said all the glass had been replaced.
“Absolutely wrong,” Kohler said, adding that he drove by right before the council meeting and glass is still on the ledge on the second floor.
"Every window that Mr. Kohler complained about being broke (during the) last council meeting has been replaced. There is not one broken window on that side of the building," Corignani said.
"I’m saying glass is laying right on the ledge – piles of busted glass," Kohler said. “The pigeon crap is still there, too ... the receptacles dangling off the back (are) still there. I just drove by there. I’m not making this up.”
“I’m not trying to pick on you,” Kohler said.
“I think you are,” Corignani said.
“We’ll go over there when the meeting’s over,” Kohler said, adding that they'll discuss they're findings during the next council meeting. “That ain’t pickin’ on ya. This is BS.”
When Corignani started to address Riel about being part of the problem instead of part of the solution, Riel asked city solicitor Mark Hollenbeck if it was appropriate for an employee of the city make that kind of comment to the mayor. Hollenbeck said it’s appropriate for city employees to ask questions about public safety issues.
Corignani said he wasn’t trying to be disrespectful to Riel or anyone on council.
“All I’m saying is that this has gone to the point where, instead of us having the solution to it, it’s all becoming a problem,” he said.
Later in the meeting, Corignani explained that it took almost a year for code enforcement to get where it is in the legal process. He said Cindy Master had been hired to go after money owed to the city through code enforcement. The “first round” of properties that went through the Board of Health were “held up” by the city’s special counsel Greg Henry. Master wrote the letters, and had to have Henry approve them before she could go on to the next step.
Last week, all the letters were sent out from the last Board of Health hearings. The fines against the property owners the letters were sent to totals $115,000 to $120,000.
He added that they have received some plea bargain proposals from some of the property owners, which will have to be discussed at the next Board of Health meeting. He said some people who have bills of $15,000 to $16,000 are offering to pay $6,000, $7,000 or $8,000, which is enough to tear a building down.
The last issue came up as council was considering transferring $9,000 from the code enforcement legal services account to the Elm Street Streetscape project. That will still leave code enforcement with a little less than $11,000 for legal services, which Corignani said should be plenty.
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