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Free To Grow
Mailman School
of Public Health
Columbia University
722 West 168th Street,
8th Floor
New York, NY 10032
Mailman School
of Public Health
Columbia University
722 West 168th Street,
8th Floor
New York, NY 10032
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Hermiston Ordinance Passes HERMISTON - A new Hermiston city ordinance approved by the city council gives the code enforcement officer more tools to do her job. Ordinance number 2081 amends the code of ordinances by adding structural maintenance regulations. The main purpose of the ordinance is to establish and enforce minimum standards for homes and areas surrounding homes. The new ordinance is part of the Neighborhood Revitalization plan put together by Head Startıs Free To Grow. Part of what the program does is encourage stricter codes to help create safe environments for local residents. Domingo Macias from Head Start hadnıt seen the ordinance yet, however, he was hopeful it was strong enough to clean up the city. "They added some of the major issues like derelict building and property maintenance that we wanted, Macias said. The ordinance requires property owners to take more responsibility for their property. Even if the property is not owner-occupied, all residential property must comply with the requirements of the ordinance. All structures on residential property needs to be maintained structurally safe and sound and in good repair. Derelict and dangerous structures have been an on-going problem in Hermiston. The ordinance addresses the issue of these type of structures and requires them to be taken care of in a timely manner. Overcrowding is also addressed in the ordinance. According to the ordinance, a home is considered overcrowded if there are more than one resident. Each additional resident has to have at least 100 square feet of floor area in the rooms which can be lived in. Hermiston Police Chief Dan Coulombe said the ordinance will help make Hermiston a cleaner and safer place to live. We are saying we are serious about cleaning up (Hermiston), Coulombe said "Weıre willing to do what it takes." For more information on Ordinance No. 2081, contact Hermiston City Hall at 567-5521. (Written by Karen Hutchinson-Talaski, April 13, 2004 and reprinted with permission from the Hermiston Herald, http://www.hermistonherald.com/) |
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Disclaimer Free To Grow is a national program supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation with direction and technical assistance provided by the Mailman School of Public Health of Columbia University. |