I agree with you here, Karen, that we can challenge UCD, if we believe
that they have undertaken the function of private trash violation
snitch, and they fail in snitch consistency. We should also expect the
same consistency from Glenn, but he has so far given us the impression
that he seems to be particularly interested in complaining to UDC
about Campus Apts. building violations, because their guy sits on the
UCD Board. At least, he hasn't yet told us that he's complaining about
other landlords, and other homeowners in a similar way. On the blocks
around where I live, many people, and most of the landlords, put their
trash and recyclables out a day early, not thinking that Monday or
Tuesday was a holiday, and the pickup day will be Thursday. The
landlords' employees generally put the trash out before 7PM in any
case, because they don't schedule employees to work that late in the
day.
On 20 Feb 2008, at 4:25 PM, KAREN ALLEN wrote:
UCD voluntarily took it upon itself up to start forwarding trash
complaints to the City. Once it set itself up to do that, UCD
created for itself a duty to follow through consistently. And if
they don't carry out this voluntary act consistently, they can be
challenged as to why they turn in some reports and not others. That
was what Glenn was doing.
Before, UCD was forwarding trash complaints. Now they might do it if
enough complain. So does that mean that they're paying someone to
keep a tally of each complaint against each property, and when some
magic number is reached, they will forward it along to the City,
maybe? And if they're not keeping a tally, how will they know that
more than one complaint came in?
Sounds like parsing of words to me: "you didn't read the fine
print!". Seems like they've painted themselves into a corner and are
now trying to back out it. If UCD is not going to forward every
complaint consistently, they shouldn't do it at all.
Date: Wed, 20 Feb 2008 15:38:11 -0500
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: univcity@list.purple.com
Subject: Re: [UC] Public report
Glenn and Karen,
I called Dexter Bryant today today to ask if anything had been
done after Glenn's report about the alleged trash violation. He said
that if, and here's the important word, enough people sent in a
complaint about a certain resident or citizen's possible trash
violation, then they might phone in to the Streets Dept. themselves
to have a Streets Dept. employee come around and check. Even then,
they can't assure that someone from the Streets Dept. will actually
come by. Evidently, the fastest and most appropriate way for Glenn
or anyone for that matter to get a response to a potential trash
violation is to call the Streets Dept. directly and not even bother
getting UCD involved.
Glenn's trying to make the argument that UCD violated a legal
obligation, which they haven't. UCD's compiling of the addresses of
possible trash collection violators is not a legally required
action. If someone is derelict enough to commit a trash violation
that bothers enough neighbors or community members, then UCD likes
to help out by making sure that the Streets Dept. is sent word. They
don't have to do it. While the argument that they're doing it
selectively and not every time someone complains may be valid, it's
also meaningless. UCD themselves can't deal with the trash violation
and we have no right to force them to call the city government on
our behalf every time one of us has a complaint. We're individually
responsible for filing such a legal complaint.
On Wed, Feb 20, 2008 at 12:22 PM, KAREN ALLEN <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
wrote:
I am not making a faulty assumption. Please re-read what I wrote. I
never said "UCD is legally responsible for citing trash
violations" (copying and pasting your exact phraseology).
I wrote (copying and pasting again) "[i]f UCD compiles and forwards
lists of addresses of trash offenders to the City, then UCD should
have taken Glenn's information, and forwarded it on to the City".
Nowhere in that did I say that UCD should have cited anyone.
However, if UCD has established a policy and a relationship with the
City wherein it forwards information regarding trash violations, the
violations that Glenn pointed out should have been collected and
forwarded for the City to respond to. And if they did not do so in
light of that policy, then why?
Date: Wed, 20 Feb 2008 11:43:30 -0500
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: univcity@list.purple.com
Subject: Re: [UC] Public report
Karen,
You're taking Glenn's word for it. And you're making the same
faulty assumption that Glenn is making, and that is that UCD is
legally responsible for citing trash violations. They are not. Only
employees of the Streets Dept. can cite trash violations. Did Glenn
call the Streets Dept. himself? Did you, Glenn? If Glenn wants
someone violating a trash collection ordinance to be cited for that
violation, he needs to alert the Streets Dept. and have them send
somebody over to 41st and Pine. Not having seen this area of
sidewalk yesterday, or Glenn's photos, I can't even assume there was
a violation at all.
Mario
On Wed, Feb 20, 2008 at 11:19 AM, KAREN ALLEN <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
wrote:
>Glenn wrote:
>"Mr. Dexter Bryant confirms that UCD compiles a list of addresses
>for the city enforcement officers and provides addresses. This is
>not done on the basis of an immediate violation. UCD provides a
>list of "offenders" by way of the phone at later dates.
>
>I asked repeatedly for Mr. Bryant and Mr. Kingsley to call
>enforcement officers. None of the Campus Apt. addresses were
>recorded by any of the UCD employees. As I walked away, Mr.
>Kingsley and Bryant left without any effort to record the various
>addresses. All UCD staff refused pictures."
If UCD compiles and forwards lists of addresses of trash offenders
to the City, then UCD should have taken Glenn's information, and
forwarded it on to the City.
If UCD refused to do so when Glenn pointed out that the violations
were on Campus Apartments properties, one would have to ask whether
UCD is selectively forwarding or not forwarding these violations on
the basis of favoritism. It should be noted that David Adelman, the
owner of Campus Apartments, is on UCD's board of directors, was a
leading member of the NID/BID steering committee, and is a partner
in the 40th and Pine hotel project, for which UCD wrote a letter of
support to the Philadelphia Historic Commission.
Date: Wed, 20 Feb 2008 09:59:01 -0500
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: UnivCity@list.purple.com
Subject: Re: [UC] Public report
Glenn,
It isn't UCD's responsibility to cite trash violations; that is
the responsibility of the municipal government. If you're so anxious
to indict anyone for trash collection violations, why don't you call
the Philadelphia Streets Department (215-686-5560) yourself. Send
them your photos of the property and the offending trash. As far
UCD's "working relationship" with the Streets Department is
concerned, I think the fact that they deal with the public sidewalk
trashcans in UC, they operate/organize sidewalk clean-ups with the
community and offer other "clean streets" support that are a
community service that the city government recognizes and
appreciates as do some of us living in UC.
I seem to remember a discussion of people in the hood on the
listserv talking about UCD writing trash tickets for the Streets
Dept. employees that they had no authority to write. I remember most
folks on the listserv thinking that UCD should never have written
trash tickets specifically because it was the city government's
responsibility, not the responsibility of a non-government NID/BID
or community support services entity.
Mario
On Tue, Feb 19, 2008 at 5:24 PM, Glenn <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
February 19, 2008, 4:30 PM, 41st and Pine St.
Mr. Dexter Bryant and Chris Kingsely of UCD meet Glenn Moyer after 2
UCD employees are flagged down and call Mr. Bryant. Trash has been
placed on the sidewalk in front of various Campus Apt buildings on
Pine St between 40 th and 42nd Sts. Also on 41st St.
I met Mr. Dexter Bryant and Mr. Chris Kingsely of the UCD at 4:25
PM. As of 3:30 PM, the regular trash violations of Campus Apts were
photographed on Pine St and 41st St. On this holiday week, trash
cannot be put out until Wed. after 7 PM. Several piles exceeded the
limits on amount of trash.
Mr. Dexter Bryant and Mr. Chris Kingsley refuse to call the city of
Philadelphia Streets Department on the spot. Four separate UCD
employees refuse to call city enforcement officers. They do not
record any of the violation addresses. Mr. Kingsley and Mr. Bryant
inform me that I need to contact the property manager.
I inform Mr. Bryant and Mr. Kingsley that Deputy Commissioner
Carlton Williams of the Phila. Dept. of Streets is on record
describing a "working relationship" between the city and UCD.
Mr. Dexter Bryant confirms that UCD compiles a list of addresses for
the city enforcement officers and provides addresses. This is not
done on the basis of an immediate violation. UCD provides a list of
"offenders" by way of the phone at later dates.
I asked repeatedly for Mr. Bryant and Mr. Kingsley to call
enforcement officers. None of the Campus Apt. addresses were
recorded by any of the UCD employees. As I walked away, Mr. Kingsley
and Bryant left without any effort to record the various addresses.
All UCD staff refused pictures.
Glenn Moyer, 5:23 PM, 2/19/08
Elliot M. Stern
552 South 48th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19143-2029
United States of America
telephone: 215-747-6204
mobile: 267-240-8418
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
