As Hamilton Township Housing Inspector Richard Merger drove down a quiet residential street in Yardville, something caught his eye.
Wood was stacked together in a messy pile in a backyard—a violation of a township ordinance.
Piles of wood on grass attract bugs and other pests that can cause problems for homeowners and their neighbors. According to the township’s ordinance, the wood has to be elevated off the ground.
After taking note of the address and the violation, Merger drove on, only stopping when he noticed paint peeling off garages, cars parked on grass and other ordinance violations.
Merger was one of roughly six township officials traveling through sections of Yardville and Groveville on June 6 as part of Hamilton’s new Neighborhood Improvement Program. Hamilton launched the program in April, which aims to address quality of life issues around the township.
At the beginning of every month, housing inspectors, police officers and other township officials gather together in one of Hamilton’s neighborhoods to check for ordinance violations. Depending on the neighborhood, officials will either walk or drive down each street to ensure every property is up to code.
The program, therefore, addresses structural issues visible from the street—peeling paint and unsafe structural issues—and outdoor quality of life issues, including high grass or weeds, junk or debris in yards and vehicles parked on grass.
Mayor Kelly Yaede said the premise of the Neighborhood Improvement Program originated from residents calling in to report ordinance violations on their block. Roughly a year ago, officials began to collect data about the quality of life calls they received through the Hamstat call center.
The number of calls from residents fluctuates with the weather, Department of Health Director Jeffrey Plunkett said. From the middle of March through the end of November, the township will typically receive 3,400 calls regarding properties and aesthetic complaints. During the rest of the year, the number of calls drops between 50 to 100.
Grass higher than the 10 inches allowed by ordinance was the most frequent call received, Plunkett said, followed by junk, debris or unused materials on lawns. Structural issues ranging from peeling paint or unsafe hand rails and vehicles parked on grass were also called in, although not as frequently as other violations.
“We took all this data and developed this new program to be proactive in addressing neighbors’ concerns,” Yaede said.
During the first two months of program, Plunkett said the township inspected four different neighborhoods in Hamilton, including sections near Lalor Street and Hamilton High School West. During that period, officials issued 107 notices to 75 properties.
Once a resident receives a violation notice in the mail, they have 21 days to comply with the ordinance. Despite each ordinance having it’s own time frame for compliance—ranging from a few days to over a week— the Neighborhood Improvement Program gives residents more than 2 weeks to make the repairs.
“The reason for the 21 days is to keep the program in line and keep everything uniform across the board,” he said, adding that it is easier for inspectors to plan to come back to the property with a set 21-day time frame.
Merger said when officials go back for the reinspections, as long as they see progress being made they’ll grant the resident an extension.
“We push along people where they’d want to do that repair,” Merger said.
This is especially the case with larger violations, such as fixing roofs, windows or structural issues with a home.
“Certainly we grant extensions to anyone who’s shown progress,” Plunkett said. “Let’s face it, sometimes it’s a little bit more, sometimes it’s a little bit less. If you’re making progress, we’re here to help you.”
However, according to the township’s municipal code, if a homeowner or resident doesn’t comply with ordinances they could be fined or issued a court summons. The township could also issue a work order and place a lien on the property.
Yaede said the price of the lien varies depending on the on the size of property and the amount of work needed to make the repairs. She added that the township mostly issues liens against unkempt vacant or abandoned properties, which are often owned by banks.
For residents who cannot afford to make the necessary repairs, the township offers Housing and Urban Development grants through the federal Community Development Block Grant program.
The grant funding is income based, and residents have to be up-to-date on their taxes and mortgage in order to qualify, Merger said. He encouraged people to look into applying for the grant, especially since repairing windows, roofs and porches can quickly become an expensive task.
Yaede believes the program has been a success so far, and hopes to see the high compliance rate continue. As of June 6, the program had a 92 percent abatement rate.
“I believe the 92 percent abatement illustrates, to me, that the residents are in cooperation and have the same goal that the government has,” she said.
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