The first meeting of a new city advisory board generated concerns about outdated codes, proposals for bulky trash removal and a request for a new ban on parking in yards.
The Poplar Bluff Residential Housing Advisory Board was created to be an idea generator to fix problems in the city, said member Greg West, who was elected as vice chairman and assigned a three-year term when members drew for staggered slots.
These items will be taken up July 12 by the board, said city planner Matt Winters, who was elected chairman and received a two-year term.
The board will meet on the second Thursday of each month at the city council chambers.
West said these matters need to be tackled quickly, saying he felt violations dragged on for months once they entered the municipal court system, with no resolution.
"The few instances I'm familiar with, it's just pure and simple not happening," West said. "I see no repercussions. And I think there should be a timeline. I don't want to kick this can down the road six months."
The current city code that lists fines for code enforcement violations does not appear to have been updated since the state's passage of Senate Bill 5 approximately two years ago, according to the discussion.
It is a matter that has been brought up by code enforcement officers, said code enforcement officer James Sisk, who now holds a three-year term on the board.
"The city council needs to be aware we're out of date and we need to have somebody look at Senate Bill 5 and see what tools are in the toolbox," West said, adding later, "We need to have good tools to work with and what you're telling me is our code's out of date. If our code's out of date, we don't have good tools. That's pretty important."
The board asked that the matter be researched and brought back to the next meeting, along with additional information on proposals for a trash program and possible parking changes.
West asked the city to consider a program similar to the city of Dexter, which allows residents to purchase tags for bulky item pickup and disposal.
He suggested items could be picked up by the street department during limb removal and disposed of in unused dumpster space at Municipal Utilities. If the program was successful, the city could consider renting a dumpster for that purpose, West said.
Lack of a way to remove bulky trash items is a significant problem for some residents, Sisk said.
"Regardless if that fine was $1 or $1,000, does that make the trash magically disappear? That's where we need a solution," Sisk said, adding later, "I think you see a big difference with that one thing, if we have a place for this stuff to go."
Council member at-large Ron Black asked city manager Mark Massingham to research the proposal. Black is a member of the committee, holding a one-year term.
Landlords also need to be proactive in taking care of their property, according to Sisk, in response to questions from West about what other problems the city faces.
"I would like to see them police their own properties better," Sisk said. "They need to be held accountable as well."
These are problems dealt with by every community, he said, but given the smaller nature of Poplar Bluff, he would hope for better communication with property owners.
"Everybody is going to have to work together ... figure out how to make it work together, instead of just butting heads all the time," Sisk said.
Black also asked for research into a ban on parking in yards, or "unimproved surfaces," following a complaint from resident Barbara Rexroat of Lee Street concerning problems in her neighborhood.
"I think this ordinance about parking in the yard is something we really need to look at," Black said. "I know it's a problem."
This would be difficult in some areas of the city, where there is limited or no street parking, other members of the board said.
The members questioned if the ban could be applied to sections of the city, and discussed getting legal advice on the matter.
Sisk also suggested looking in the future at a ban on parking commercial trucks over a certain tonnage in residential areas.
The advisory board has been tasked with developing suggestions for city administration to help revitalize city residential neighborhoods, according to the ordinance passed by the city council. Recommendations will be shared with the city council, which has the power to make changes.