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NEED LANDLORD REGISTRATION
Many kudos to Dean Olsen and Illinois Times for the excellent article, "Battling Blight," Aug. 15. As someone who loves Springfield and enjoys living on the southeast side of our city, I must ask, "What is the basis for Springfield's inadequate waste collection system?"
Public behavior is one answer. Landlords are allowed to opt out of paying for tenants' garbage service. A landlord's skate often results in piles of filthy trash, not to mention declining property values of law-abiding neighbors.
Fly dumpers, whose nastiness is illegal, drop garbage and bulky items in our alleys and streets with abandon. Far too many landlords and all fly dumpers propel Springfield into the universe of ugly and dangerous.
So far, most of our elected officials refuse to do anything worthwhile about the glaring facts of population growth, especially in rental occupancy, and Springfield's outdated ordinances governing waste management and housing maintenance.
Additional city-funded clean up services and personnel are critical and essential if Springfield is to avoid health hazards, infectious diseases and dangerous conditions festering in our alleys; in some cases, on our streets.
Yes, insufficient requirements of private garbage haulers are a big contributor to Springfield's ineffective waste management system. There must be timely, predictable removal of household garbage and bulky items. If I, as a household resident, put it out, it should be gone.
There are simple solutions. I pay $45 every three months for garbage pickup. Add a dollar a month – still less than $50 every three months – and bulky items as well as garbage disappears from everyone's alleys and our roadways.
Require waste haulers to pick up bulky items as part of residential waste management. The city can afford to partially subsidize this service. All residents of the city benefit when waste management is governed as a public service, supported and aided by the taxpayers.
An effective system of waste management and housing maintenance is within easy reach in Springfield. Landlord registration is the missing ingredient in our city. That will remedy who is ultimately accountable for payment of residential garbage service and who is on the lam from required maintenance of residential property.
Landlords are in the business of providing homes for profit. They are essential to the health, safety and well-being of their tenants, the neighborhoods they choose to do business in, and the city that is responsible for their practices.
Knowing who owns what and how that owner can be easily contacted when dangerous and unsightly living conditions exist, as well as negative impacts on another person's home investment is neighborly, smart business and good government.
Polly Poskin, president
Harvard Park Neighborhood Association
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NO ACTION
Another article with people who have no solutions, no ordinances, no time to give this problem serious attention – this shows by how long they have been meeting. One member (of the city council's working group on housing issues) wants to create a form that landlords and tenants fill out and turn in to the city, and the other says she doesn't think all landlords should register.
The committee is a joke. I am so disappointed. Maybe they are working on other priorities as well, and it's OK for the citizens to live next to abandoned, dilapidated, filthy houses. Demand action now!
Ward 3 Ald. Roy Williams
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THANKS FOR EFFORTS
I want to extend my thanks to Ald. Erin Conley for her outstanding efforts in addressing the issue of abandoned property in Springfield. Your dedicated involvement has made a significant difference in our community.
Your commitment to improving our neighborhood and addressing concerns with such diligence is truly commendable. The positive impact of your work is evident, and we are grateful for your support and advocacy. Thank you for being a proactive and attention leader who truly cares about the well-being of our community.
Thomas Stevens
Springfield
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IT'S WORSE HERE
I want to know who benefits from all these vacant properties? The house behind me has been vacant with tar paper on the lawn to stop the grass, overgrown weeds, construction and other debris, broken glass and graffiti the entire time I've lived here.
Occasionally the landlord stops by but doesn't do anything. Is it laziness? Incompetence? Why no enforcement? Can't be bothered? What is the issue exactly that it's so bad here compared to other, similar cities?
A complaint-based system just pits neighbor against neighbor. What if law enforcement worked that way, or tax collection?
Ramona Boston
Springfield
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STUCK ON REPEAT
The proverbial "cat chasing its tail" is alive and well. The public reports problem properties, city council looks at changing processes, city council decries lack of resources and minimal impact changes are made. Repeat, repeat, repeat.
With regards to garbage pickup, it was agreed upon with the waste haulers that anyone without garbage service would be assigned a waste hauler, on a rotational basis, and the billing added to CWLP's utility bill. This process addresses the ones that do not have garbage pickup, while the majority of people that obey the rules and have pickup service are not impacted, while preserving Springfield's valued competitive waste-hauling market.
With regards to blighted properties, from 2022 to 2024 the city had a Harvard Fellow, Sai Joshi, who helped implement and create the city's Community Connection/BUILD program and the property dashboard. Sadly, the other initiative – whole block restoration to repair dilapidated housing with a job-training component – was essentially blocked by a core group of city council members. The reason was the financial special interest chokehold that are on some members of the city council, but that is a discussion for another day.
Meanwhile, Sai completed her fellowship and Springfield neglected to retain her talents. Now she is helping New York City with its dilapidated housing initiatives. Springfield's loss is NYC's gain. I wish Sai well in her new endeavors and Springfield's City Council-driven committee success in resolving the blighted property dilemma.
James Langfelder
Springfield