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July 25, 2007

Commission issues report on Center City concerns

By STEPHEN BARTLETT

PLATTSBURGH — College and city officials outlined recommendations to decrease Center City issues that have plagued residents for years.

They vowed the report released Wednesday will not be discarded and forgotten.

Plattsburgh State officials say they are willing to make the necessary changes and even spend money to solve some of the problems.

And Mayor Donald Kasprzak, while stressing the city will not hire new personnel to help with stepped-up enforcement, said he’s dedicated to easing residents’ headaches and improving college-community relations.

“This report meets every expectation I had,” Plattsburgh State President Dr. John Ettling said. “It contains a series of realistic, affordable and practical recommendations to improve the relationship between the City of Plattsburgh and Plattsburgh State University.”



LAW CHANGES

Some of the 39 recommendations include changes to the city noise ordinance and the definition of family housing, nuisance ordinances to ensure landlords maintain properties, civil penalties resulting from hosting parties and stings, increased enforcement and stricter guidelines for renting college housing.

“This report is not going to sit on a shelf and get dusty,” Kasprzak said.

Plattsburgh residents, largely in the Center City area, have for years complained about problems caused by drunken students who urinate on public property, scream during the middle of the night while stumbling home from downtown, destroy property and even enter residences, sometimes vomiting inside and passing out.

During his campaign, a number of residents complained to Kasprzak about rowdy students. Shortly after he was elected, he met with Ettling to discuss the idea of forming a commission that would present recommendations to help with Center City issues.

The pair created a commission last April, headed by Dr. Edward Miller of Plattsburgh State, and Kasprzak requested a report by mid July.

He and Ettling credited Miller, as well as commission members, with working diligently to come up with the report.



REGISTRATION

One recommendation would require registration, inspection and permitting of properties rented to college students.

“This largely has to do with safety and upkeep of properties, as well as behavioral issues,” Miller said.

He pointed to an October 2005 fire that left 32 people without living accommodations and four fires in April 2006 that dislocated 40 people. In some cases, it was difficult to determine who owned the property and who lived at specific units.

Recommendation No. 2 would change the definition of a family.

“People would have to prove they are a single-family type if they are living in single-family-zoned areas,” Miller said.



POLICE, COURTS

Another recommendation pertains to alternative sentences, such as requiring students to participate in educational programs, payback to the community and listening to impact panels so they can be educated about the damage they are doing to neighborhoods.

The commission also recommended more stings by law enforcement, which Miller said could decrease future overtime costs as students get the message.

That was good news to Kasprzak, who said the city would be willing to spend on overtime but cannot increase its staff.

“If the well weren’t so dry I would probably consider hiring more people, but we can’t.”

He stressed the city and college must do better for residents, while pointing out Plattsburgh State’s value to the area.

“This relationship is key to the success of our city.”

Ettling added it’s unfortunate the image of college students has been tarnished by the misbehavior of a small number.

‘We are in the education business, and we need to educate students about what kind of havoc they wreak.”



FOLLOWUP

Plattsburgh State officials, the Common Council and city department heads will review the report to determine what is practical and fair to implement.

“I said I would never implement anything until I have input from everyone,” Kasprzak said. “We are not going to change any law overnight.”

The commissions plans to reconvene in four, 12 and 24 months to provide oral progress reports to ensure any adopted recommendations are being carried out and are working.

“We have to come together and have conversations,” Miller said. “That is the key to beginning to address these problems.”



RECOMMENDATIONS

Here are the changes recommended in the report:

Changes to proposed city ordinance on noise chapter 206.

Proposed changes to the definition of family under zoning chapter 270, section 4.

Proposed housing, property maintenance and nuisance ordinance.

Proposed registration, inspection and permitting of rental unit ordinance.

Proposal to create a civil ordinance for cost recovery resulting from social hosting and stings.

Improved sanctions in the spirit of restorative justice.

Proposal to lower the threshold for college to judicially pursue off-campus-conduct issues under college policies.

Create structure for athletic-team accountability that is similar to other clubs and groups, as well as fraternity/sorority guidelines.

Create a position of alcohol and other drug coordinator for Plattsburgh State.

Create a position of campus-city coordinator for Plattsburgh State.

Create a standing committee on campus/community relationships.

Create Plattsburgh neighborhood associations.

Petition for moratorium on issuance of licenses in the downtown area.

General recommendations related to the Building Inspector’s Office, such as writing more violations to create culture of enforcement, more proactive in policing code violations and support from city attorney.

General recommendations related to enforcement and accountability, such as zero tolerance pertaining to quality-of-life ordinances, increase foot/bicycle patrols, install downtown surveillance cameras and maximum penalties and fines.

General recommendations, such as withholding off-campus housing lists from landlords who have past-due nspections on properties, changes to curfews, create downtown hospitality zone and foster a landlords association.



E-mail Stephen Bartlett at:

sbartlett@pressrepublican.com

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