A new city advisory board could help generate ideas for how to clean up areas of Poplar Bluff that have become embarrassing because of trash, dilapidated houses and overgrown lots, according to supporters of the effort.
City council members are expected to vote April 2 on the creation of a residential housing advisory board, which some opponents say would be an unnecessary addition.
Mayor pro tem Susan McVey questioned members of the Butler County Landlords Association Monday about what the city could gain from this proposal.
It would not change the process for handling code violations, she said. A better step would be to hire additional code enforcement officers, according to McVey, who said the city cannot afford that.
The board could bring together a variety of departments and people in a way that could generate a community discussion, said Beverly Roach, a member of the landlords association.
"When we get everyone together, the ideas start coming in," said Roach. "Whenever you just talk to one department, they get defensive with it.
"We're not trying to pinpoint anyone. We know everyone's working. They're shorthanded and everything."
The public board could be comprised of a city council member, the city planner, a code enforcement officer, a local real estate agent and a representative of the landlords association, according to information provided to the council by city manager Mark Massingham.
The board would receive input and suggestions from its members for the city administration to consider, Massingham said.
It would also serve as an avenue for the city and landlord association to communicate with each other on a regular basis concerning rental property within city limits, he said.
"I can see this board discussing and recommending changes to our nuisance codes and making recommendations for items such as the Adopt-A-Street Program and the Vacant Lot Program," Massingham said. "This board can be an avenue to help clean up our neighborhoods."
Cost was a concern for McVey, who said city staff members would have to be paid for their time to attend and the formation of the board would have to be advertised.
It would cost more to hire another code enforcement officer, said landlord Greg West, who suggested if cost were the problem, the city could consider dissolving another advisory board.
"I see no negative to it," he said. "The degradation of some areas is just appalling and embarrassing."
Real estate sales associate Rhenda Hutchison agreed later, adding this problem has gone on for a long time.
"If you give somebody an inch, they're going to take a mile, and that's what's happening in some of these areas," she said. "We're going to have to take this one step at a time. Everybody come up with some solutions, and it's not going to be overnight."
Ward 4 council member Philip Crocker said he supported forming the advisory board.
"This is a very cheap, economical way for us to maybe focus on things that we can fix now," Crocker said.
Members of the board could also help the city by bringing in information on properties that they see with problems, Mayor Ed DeGaris said.
Collection of costs from the responsible parties would help the board pay for itself, according to West.
Council member at-large Ron Black did not participate in the conversation, saying he was concerned about a possible conflict of interest. Black is a member of the landlords association.