Monday, February 12, 2007

'Redding-up' abandoned houses taking longer than city expected

'Redding-up' abandoned houses taking longer than city expected List of condemned properties gets longer
Where is that list? Does anyone have a pointer to it on the web?

Does anyone have a list of streets and roads that need to be re-paved this year?

What about the list of the more urgent "to-do" matters that come from the city's 3-1-1 line.

Where is the list of what the redd-up crew did yesterday, last week, last month? If there isn't a list of things still to do, is there at least a list of things that has been done?

Who is keeping a record?

Is there a list of equipment, cars and trucks that are sitting in the garage? How are the repairs from the privatized garage progressing? How is the back-log today? What about those expenses?

Is there a list of what repairs are needed to be done at the various summer recreation spots? What is on the capital expense budget? What is going to be done at the RAD Parks? What pools are going to be open? What repairs are going to be made at the pools.

Is there a list of all the schools that are owned by the city and still not sold to the URA? Is there a list of all the closed schools? Is there a list of schools that are going to move from open to closed or closed to open? How many school facilities are on that list? What facilities might be sold and what are worth keeping? Why?

Who is keeping a list of local experts that should be included on the new Allegheny County committee (whatever) for advancing the democratic process. Seems that the board of elections is going to have a new booster group, of sorts. That's great. Who keeps the list as to who is on and who is off.

Where is the list of Authorities, Commissions and Task Forces in city, county and school agencies. Where is the list of people who are on those boards? Where is the list of people that have been nominated but not put on the boards? Where is the quorum for the Hearing Ethics Board -- and why are the minutes for that entity not public?

The PROPEL Pittsburgh committee (for the youth movement) is about to be born. Who gets picked? Who keeps the list?

Santa Clause checks his list twice. I'd love to see more lists put out into the open.

Is PAT going to issue a list of suggestions it has received at the recent round of public hearings? What suggestions got favorable reactions and have been implemented? What are slated to come into being? What are judged, by PAT, to be bogus?

What supplies are needed to board up a vacant home?

Why do we need a list of property owners of rental properties when we have a recorder of deeds? Can't the lists of the property owners show how to contact landlords?

Where is the list of properties that are owned by the city?

Where is the list of property leins that are on the buy back list? The city is going to spend a few millions, pennies on the dollar, to buy back the leins on various proeprties -- but that list hasn't seen the light of day, to my knowledge.

What properties are for sale in the city, by the city?

Where can someone find a master list of all the rental properties in the city?

What happens when a house is boarded up and a family of four needs shelter from the cold, enters a house, a fire occurs, and lives are lost as the folks can't get back out -- like the recent story in Philly?

Is there a list of abandoned homes that are not really abandoned?

I want a list of lists. I want the lists to be thoughtful and graded. Lists should be linked.

Sadly, I fear that city council and the mayor's office -- as well as the workers of the city -- are each running in circles trying to catch their own tails. Perhaps catching one's own tail is overboard. Some running is to 'CYA' (cover your ass). Other bits of running is to put out fires. Other jogs aim to cover up or complicate.

No doubt, everyone cares. However, who cares to manage and post the list makters? Can those lists be put online?

Platform.For-Pgh.org

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I imagine the Vacant Property Working Group would be a good start.

http://www.pcrg.org/vpwg/