3. Review and adjust individual property lines for residential or businesses to reflect Deeding/ Quit Claim of City Right of Ways as might be determined to be excessive to the adjacent owners those areas. (Posted 09/ 28/2016)
In 2014, I went to the mat so to speak with the City Administration; okay Mr. Rapp and his ADA/ City Atty., who I have alleged is his personal defense Atty., against the people of the Community who pay both their salaries.
I had gotten fed up with the City NOT taking care of its own property while mowing/ trimming Neal Cooke Cemetery which was than private property. I had been ticked about the City not doing its job for years but it came to a head in about April 2014.
Also at that time, Ms. Smith was appointed City Clerk. Part of the rational was she would review boundaries for properties versus the City. Now if this was done, I do not know. I am going to suspect not, just an excuse to appoint her City Clerk?
Now this year in a burst of Public Relations for Mr. Rapp, it was finally decided to annex via a quit claim into the City that Cemetery. I had no problem with that as I had been all for it years ago and have DOCUMENTS to prove it. Now Mr. Rapp noted I seemed to just have come up with the idea whereas the City had been "thinking" or "working" on it for some time.
Two points here if I may:
1. Just one example of what a prudent person can question is another "LIE" by Mr. Rapp? I had been on this as I noted for over two years. Not because I was not in favor of the idea, but because I felt the City should not be using City Tax Dollars, equipment and people to take care of Private Property. And as was finally noted, it is in Mr. Rapp's and some of his Council mind that the area is a "Historical Site". Please Lord, NOT another Tax Dollar gimmick? I would be deeply offended if my relatives had a bunch of tourists traipsing all over their graves just to ooh and aah at the names and dates on the markers. Then of course to the local fast food place for food; maybe a few bucks in the Mall? I can imagine Mr. Rapp's mind going now: "oh just look at those sales tax dollars roll in"? Add this in with the Gold Star Memorial part of the tour and it will for sure be a money maker.
2. Have the sinking feeling that Mr. Rapp with the help of Ms. Kerns doing the leg work, had delayed this annexing until AFTER the very last possible grant had been received from whatever source, most especially Sam's? I will admit that Sam's had gotten its alleged quid pro quo by all the free publicity it received from the numerous good things it did for the Cemetery. That is called business and they took full advantage of the opportunity.
There will of course be a Public Ceremony for the Media Bells and Whistles that Mr. Rapp lives for, but after that, instead of the City mowing and trimming the Cemetery, Mr. Rapp plans to contract it out. Does anyone smell anything yet? The P.R. is over and a sweetie for a vendor.
And as noted in an earlier posting, it had all come together at the same time as one of the remaining Trustees had attacked me because I do not like Seniors. At that time, I had to very respectfully ask if she was nuts? I am a Senior too. Rappite action in play of course.
Now let us go back to my angst on the Property Owner's being obligated for DECADES and DECADES to mow, trim and at least weed. Now because I went on the warpath over this issue, I flat refused to mow the City property in front or back of my home. Did mine as little as it was outside of my back fence and from the water meter to the street. I have pictures of that mess that the City did not mow and even DENIED was not being ignored.
As a result, the City came out via its Planning Commission ( And WHO is on that Commission and likes to run for Council? Does anyone know a Jim Sims?), an eighty two page "Planning and Zoning Code". How many of you are going to read all of that? I did twice, and my eyes almost glazed over both times, but I read it and noted some interesting differences between Old Vienna and the Ghetto below 23rd St. I have posted some on that in the past.
And attached to it as it passed was an interesting and very PUNITIVE Ordnance (537.04), where it became more obligatory for the adjacent owners to mow, weed, trim, seed, do re-sodding and watering if directed by the City. Now, that is no longer at the bottom of the Code, but is in its own little place as noted in the City Ordnance's.
Now this mowing/ trimming has been performed by the Owners at their expense for as I have noted for many years while the City has left to its own devices cared for little of the City Property. And it is a LOT.
Reviewing the latest round of new and approved Ordnance's or changes thereto, the City is trying to choke down the Property Owner's little by little.
Here is the nuts and bolts of what I would like to do for you as Property Owner's. Cede, Quit Claim, Deed; you pick the term, that property in EXCESS of the necessary roadway and sidewalk requirements that currently go from your REAL property line to the sidewalk/ paved street. ALL of the required easements for any Utility to gain necessary access to a Property will remain in effect.
As an example, down in the Ghetto where I live, we have 80' rights of way for Streets and 100' for the Avenues. Now in some places, that is impossible to have because of the proximity of a home to the adjoining Ave's or St's. But, in those places, where ever any adjustment can be made while insuring the sidewalk/ street widths, it will be done.
I for sure have that 80' right of way between me and my across the street neighbors. Per a survey I did when Mr. Nohe was threatening me in 2009 to revoke the variance on the garage that had been built some years earlier for a Female Owner as a "safety" issue and other threats to me at the time, I found the Truth of the matter. It is the NORMAL practice that your water meter is on the property line between you and the City. I say normal because some peculiar adjustments have been made by the City for "special, preferred, connected people".
For me, I have about 970 square feet of land in front of my home that is required by the City for me to take care of day in and day out. One can drive by my home and where my campaign signs are located is my property line. I have NO front yard to speak of.
For each of you, go to your water meter; face the street and from the meter to the street will in most cases be City Property? There will be exceptions and all will have to be reviewed.
This will as I have noted require new Ordnance's, amended Ordnance's and repealed parts or maybe complete Ordnance's.
Some of you for sure have to have paid thousands of dollars for mowing, trimming, weeding and so on from your pockets over the years/decades. No matter if you do the work or sadly as I watched paid for others to do the work. And I must believe in my heart of hearts that if you have to have put out all those monies, it should be YOUR property as much as possible. I really feel sad for those Elderly folks paying over and over for their properties to be mowed/ trimmed AND THE CITIES TOO.
This will as I have noted enhance YOUR property values as the actions take place.
Some of you will gain nothing from this item. You have your water meters very, very close to your sidewalks/ streets and therefore will say so what? Remember as other property values go up, yours will in all likelihood get a kick too?
I am quite aware that the City is going to go absolutely nuts over this idea. And if as may happen with some other things I have suggested the City Incumbents including Mr. Rapp say "we can do it. Just re-elect us". This is where each and everyone of should ask "Why was this not done for us if not this year, how about over the past 3- 10 years or sooner"? Several have been on the Council for 12- 30 years.
I will tell you folks that very simply put the City did not care about what you were forced to do and more importantly what COULD have and SHOULD have been done for you. And I am NOT saying all that was done was wrong/ bad. Just that a good ideal seemed to always turn into a Christmas Tree of "Wants" versus "Needs", and the millions of dollars wasted because of that.
It is all the time about the bells and whistles; smoke and mirrors and pretty things that twinkle in the Sun.
Read the above, think about it, talk to your friends, neighbors, families. This is VISION.
I am asking for your Vote so I can do this for you. "Change is in the Air".
(Paid for by the Candidate- Lawrence J. Wilson for Mayor of Vienna).