Agenda 11/14/2006 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Note: All of the powers of the Fire Marshal discussed above may be limited by the locality. The fire official shall order the correction or removal of unsafe conditions. Unsafe conditions include conditions which are liable to cause the spread of fire, interference with fire protection systems, obstructions to egress, accumulations of waste, rubbish and grease, hazardous electrical wiring, defectively installed equipment, and unlawful amounts of hazardous or combustible materials. Unsafe structures shall be reported by the fire official to the building code official for action. An unsafe structure includes one which has inadequate exit facilities, which is dangerous to human life or public welfare, which has structural damage, or which is open and vacant. The fire official may order the immediate evacuation of any structure or premise which is structurally unsafe, which has inadequate means of egress, or where explosives or toxic fumes or materials are present. A person can be charged with a criminal offense for entering a structure or premise after an evacuation order by the fire official. The term "hazardous materials" is defined very broadly in the SFPC. It is important to note that a person's intended use or reuse of the product or material does not change the definitional category under the SFPC definition of hazardous material. Thus, whether the material is reusable or in waste condition is not relevant. This differs greatly from both federal and state environmental law where a person's intended use or reuse of the hazardous substance makes it either a hazardous product (reusable) or a hazardous waste (no other use). A vacant building which repeatedly becomes unprotected and unsecured or which is occupied for illegal purposes is considered abandoned and may be declared unsafe and abated in accordance with the requirements of the Uniform Statewide Building Code. For buildings which are temporarily vacant, the owner or person in charge of the property must secure openings to prevent access, must maintain any required sprinkler systems, and must remove all waste and hazardous materials. What can be done to more actively combat blight? Almost all of the options discussed in this Memorandum have already been adopted by the City. More aggressive pursuit of ordinances we already have on the books is an issue of allocation of manpower and funding resources. I do recommend that the worst repeat offenders be referred to the Commonwealth Attorney for criminal prosecution. I also recommend that aggressive action be taken to collect unpaid levies or fines. Public Humiliation The easiest way to bring blight issues to public attention is to exercise humiliative sanctions. An immediate and inexpensive, if limited, action would be to publicize the