Despite the best efforts from our dedicated and hard working LCI employees, we homeowners are finding it harder and harder to call the city livable.
I believe LCI has been tasked with too many responsibilities and not enough resources and authority. I’m hopeful and optimistic our new Mayor will fix the LCI function and give the current team the resources they need to succeed. We need to give them a chance. I am looking forward to hearing more about LCI 2.0. In the meantime, this is what too many neighborhoods face on a daily basis.
The photos above are of Elm Street (btw Brownell and Ella T) - the street where I grew up and called home for more than 50 years. The area was once a clean beautiful neighborhood with long-time homeowners. It has since been destroyed by out of town absentee landlords. I took the photos above a week ago - after the trash had been picked up. It may look different today (i’m out of town) but it is always full of trash and violations.
The slumlord at 869 Elm was renting to Section 8 at above market rates even though it shouldn't even pass inspection. I'm told by people familiar with the property that it is falling apart inside. The grey house at the corner of Elm and Ella T is owned by a guy from Milford. I've emailed the city about this house on no less than 6 occasions over several years and always without success. Still no fines. The frustrating aspect of all of this is that an LCI inspector lives on the same block as all these violations, and yet I still need to repeatedly file complaints before the city will act; the LCI employee takes no initiative.
My family and I finally got tired of cleaning up the garbage and calling the City with no response, and we moved. Unfortunately, we are now experiencing issues with blight in Westville. Tomorrow I will chronicle my experiences with trying to keep that neighborhood clean.
