Does This Mayor Really Follow Through?

Mayor Gaulrapp established the ad-hoc committee of the "Property Maintenance Code Task Force" in the fall of 2007. The appointed members (diligently took on the task or discussing and researching Property maintenance issues that have been plaguing the city for decades). The committee submitted seven(7) recommendations to the Mayor.

1. Establish a “Look-See” committee of three members for exterior inspections. These inspections focus on exterior issues that follow a section 8 inspection
a. 1 member appointed at large by the Mayor
b. 1 member appointed from the Realtor Association
c. 1 member appointed from the Freeport Area Landlord Association

2. Direct Grant Writer, Leslie Mastrionni, to seek grants to cover:
a. Landlord Training (voluntary)
b. Tenant Training (voluntary)
c. CPTED (“Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design”) Training (voluntary)

3. Outsource exterior and interior inspections of all properties. There by saving the city large amounts of tax payer dollars and the need for an additional inspector on the city’s payroll.

4. Implement Voluntary “Certification” of Rental Units using outsourced inspectors. Inspectors will use Section 8 inspection criteria (HUD form 52580). Managers of certified units must prove completion of a recognized Landlord Training Program (i.e. Crime Free-Drug Free Housing in Aurora or Schaumburg, IL, or Madison WI)

5. Recommend the City of Freeport use foreclosure procedures on serious housing violations and condemnations to speed the judicial process.

6. Increase funding to the budget for demolitions
Investigate and request community commitment to funding demolitions using Kenosha, Wisconsin as a model.

7. “Earmark” 1 % of the transfer tax fund to support Community Development outsourced inspectors.

To date, what has this administration accomplished?

None of the seven (7) recommendations were approved or enacted, though at the time, the Mayor seemed very pleased with our efforts and results.

Along with these recommendations, we discussed a recurrent problem of long grass and trash at rental properties. Committee members informed the mayor that under Illinois law, landlords must give a 10day notice to the tenant to mow the lawn or dispose of the garbage.

Furthermore, we discussed the use of Home Rule power. Under Home Rule the city can shorten the legally require notice period to three (3) days. The end result cleaner properties quicker! This simple measure was never adopted.

Mayor Gaulrapp is good as setting up ad hoc committees. He is even better at telling you what you want to hear and thanking you for your valuable time on his committee but has no follow through.

Mayor Gaulrapp has no experience in managing a city other than on the job training. Freeport needs and deserves a professional city manager at the helm. This is the right time for Freeport to have a city manager form of government. I urge you to vote YES on November 4th.

J. Whiting