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_178 <br /> <br />TUESDAY, JULY 13, 1999 <br /> <br /> Council next considered Business from the Floor. Mrs. Thelma Pinkard came forward to <br />speak, and stated that there was illicit drug activity in her neighborhood, particularly in rental <br />properties, and that this element. was attempting to take over the neighborhood. She further stated <br />that the notice period on many problems, such as overgrown lots, dilapidated houses, trash and <br />debris was too long, and that the policy on these issues should be changed so that action on such <br />problems could be taken sooner. Mrs. Pinkard noted that the rental property of Mr. Butch Stultz <br />had been repaired just enough to attract a tenant and then had been allowed to run down again. <br />Mrs. Pinkard stated that she would not put a pig in Mr. Stultz' s property. She asked whether <br />Council could do something to make rental property owners responsible for their tenants behavior. <br />Mrs. Pinkard continued, stating that the City welcomes new residents, and that a great deal of <br />money is spent for support of ball fields, the Virginia Museum of Natural History, and the <br />Piedmont Arts Association, but that more needed to be done to force property owners to do a <br />better job taking care of their properties. Mrs. Pinkard stated that the current City Council was <br />doing a good job, better than in the past, and that things were getting better, wi~h better police <br />patrols, but that her neighborhood needed more help. She stated that telephones at the ends of <br />streets and at Sparky's convenience store were being used for drug deals. Mrs. Pinkard stated that <br />the Police v/ere doing a great job patrolling, and recognized that they could not do it all. Council <br />Member Roop asked if he understood Mrs. Pinkard to be saying that she was asking for the City to <br />respond more quickly to property maintenance issues. Mrs. Pinkard stated that this was correct, <br />that it should not take fifteen days or more for something to be done about these problems, stating <br />that it should take no more than five days. Council Member Roop asked City Attorney David <br />Worthy which code applied in these cases, and Mr. Worthy replied that all the code authority in <br />these cases originated with State Code, and that this code required a minimum of fifteen days <br />notice on such violations. Council Member Roop then asked the City Attorney to review this area <br /> <br /> <br />