On to November and the General Election!

With the primary elections concluded, it's on to November and the General Election! So, each of us has a responsibility to become familiar with all of the candidates for office and the issues that are of importance to the future improvement and growth of our Cabell County cities and neighborhoods.

Remember, if you don't make the effort to vote, you really don't have the right to complain! When the November elections come and go, we must get behind our new leaders and work in a positive way to give them our full support. Get involved! Together, we will accomplish anything we can imagine.

We the People vs Our Local Governments - Reconciliation is Important

Our city and county governments cannot change unless we the people re-establish the link between ourselves and the City of Huntington City Council and the Cabell County Commission and rebuild the bond of trust between citizens and political officeholders.

With the upcoming election right upon us, each of us should commit to supporting our two local governments by becoming fully involved in the political and civic life of our communities.

Do you feel that we can improve the cooperation between our citizens and our city and county goverments?

Where have all our people gone?

I thought this posting, by an anonymous reader under our "Task #1" posting, was important enough to share with everyone:

"I was born and grew up in Huntington. I graduated from Marshall. I then moved to Fl to work and make my life. Each time I return to Huntington I am horrified with the conditions which I find. It seems simple to me that the answer is HIGHER TAXES.

The residents do not want to pay for more police protection, better city services, and neighborhood clean up. I am nearing retirement and my husband (also from Huntington) had planned to return to spend our best years in Huntington but are rethinking this because of all the conditions mentioned in your blog. We donate money to Marshall and wouldn't mind paying higher taxes to live in the city we love so much. Good Luck, Former residents."

Wc can, and must, do better!

Task #1 - Identify present and future problems; make a plan; work it!

TASK #1 - To educate all of the residents of Huntington and to encourage their participation in a community-wide discussion of Huntington's present and future problems.

We must first identify our problems and ensure that all citizens have a thorough understanding of the facts regarding each issue - and the financial burden associated with resolving each. You can't have a plan of attack without possessing a thorough knowledge of each issue, and just as important our citizens must have the will to get involved in the development of a strategic plan for overcoming our critical quality of life issues.

Here are some of the critical issues that the citizens of Huntington must address (not in priority order):

Loss of population

Loss of businesses

Loss of industrial and manufacturing jobs

Deteriorating housing inventory

Condemned and fire-damaged structures

Infrastructure: combined sewer system; closure of landfill by 2017; establish new solid waste landfill; condition of streets, curbs and gutters; condition and care of trees throughout the city and removal of hundreds of large tree stumps

Litter elimination through re-education and equipping all city streets with trash and cigarette butt disposal equipment

Negative impact of Business and Occupation Tax; seek and obtain Home Rule status for the city

Establish multiple historic preservation districts and emphasize preservation of significant residential and commercial areas and structures

Recover brick streets on shorter streets to recover their beauty and elegance

City government's union contracts, pension plans, self-insured insurance program; city's inadequate workforce in all departments

Investigate benefits and pitfalls of departmental privatization

Solid waste and litter removal and lack of recycling system

Low voter registration, turnout and the participation of citizens in their government; citizens have "detached" and do not stay informed about the issues that affect present and future residents

Aging of population and the inability to retain young people and the "creative class"

Lack of enforcement of all city ordinances related to private and commercial properties

Drug use, drug market and crime

Continued development and expansion of the core business district

Community and business development

Qualified candidates running for government leadership positions

Improved education; emphasis on stronger teacher standards and development

How about adding additional issues that you have recognized. You can do it anonymously.

Just click on "Post Comments" at the end of this posting. Then, click the button beside "Anonymous" and list additional issues that need to be addressed. Your name will not show up, so go ahead and have your say!

We don't need laws; we already have them! We Need Enforcement!

The ordinance regarding littering and the mishandling of household garbage for the City of Huntington appears in another posting below.

State of West Virginia Law Section 20-7-26 Unlawful Disposal of Litter: Any person who violates the litter control law is guilty of a misdemeanor. Violation in an amount less than 100 pounds or 27 cubic fee. First conviction: Fine of $50 to $500 or 8 to 16 hours of community service, or both.

Violation in an amount of 100 to 500 pounds or 27 to 216 cubic feet. First conviction: Fine of $500 to $2,000 or 16 to 32 hours of community service, or both. Violation in an amount of over 500 pounds or 216 cubic feet.First conviction: Fine of $2,500 to $25,000 or confinement in a jail for up to 1-year, or both.

Any person convicted of a second or subsequent violation is subject to double the authorized range of fines and community service for the subsequent violation. Any driver of a motor vehicle or other land conveyance convicted of violating this law, shall have three points assessed against his or her driver's license.

It is time for our public officials to announce publicly that they will begin, on a date certain, to enforce this state law. We don't need more laws! We need enforcement!

We should hold political officer holders responsible for their failure to have citations written for any violator observed to be littering. It's election time! It's time to give a grade to those office holders who have failed to enforce our anti-litter and illegal dumping laws during the last two years. What do you think?

Beautification of Harris River Front Park is the Work of Citizen Volunteers and City of Huntington Maintenance Crews

My fellow neighborhood advocate, Jay Bowen, reports:

"Significant progress has been made at Harris Riverfront Park in the past month. New flags were purchased and installed, the tulips and other flowers have bloomed, and the curbs and buildings have been painted. Also, the police department has been using bicycle patrols in the park. The roses have started to grow and the lavender is being planted this week. Hopefully, this will inspire other citizens to wake up and start caring about how the city looks."

City Ordinance Has Stiff Penalty for Littering and Mishandling Household Garbage

Several citizens have contacted me to ask about city ordinances related to household garbage and litter. Since the City of Huntington charges citizens for copies of ordinances, I am publishing the relative ones. Notice the fine and/or jail time in the penalty section at the end.

GARBAGE AND RUBBISH

COLLECTION BY CITY; GENERAL PROVISIONS

951.01 DEFINITIONS.
For the purposes of this article, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings respectively ascribed to them by this section:
a) "Ashes" means the residue from the burning of wood, coal, coke or other 'combustible material.
b) "Dwelling unit" means any closed-in area used as the principal place of residence for one family or one individual in which water or sewer service is provided and food may be prepared or eaten.
c) "Approved container" means a metal or plastic container, which is portable, watertight, equipped with handles and tight-fitting lid, and has a capacity of not less than ten gallons nor more than thirty-two gallons, which when full, shall not have a total combined weight of contents and container of more than seventy-five pounds.
d) "City" means employees of the City Public Works Department or the authorized representative of the City.
e) "Garbage" means all matter, solid, liquid or mixed, which attends, is created or accumulates within the City from the preparation, cleaning, cooking, use, storage or sale of any matter designed or intended as foodstuff for human consumption. Such term shall also include tin cans, bottles and other containers from which food or foodstuffs have been removed.
f) "Occupant" means any person residing in, renting, leasing, occupying, operating or transacting business in any premises.
g) "Premises" means every residence, household, apartment, trailer court, motel, hospital, nursing home, hotel, restaurant, cafe, market, wholesale or retail store, establishment or place of business in the City in which garbage or trash accumulates.
h) "Refuse" means garbage and rubbish collectively.
i) "Residential premises" means single-family dwellings, duplexes, apartments and trailers.
j) "Rubbish" means all normal wastes resulting from the use or occupancy of any premises such as ashes, brush, grass, leaves or other similar substances, but does not include any building material, industrial waste, containers described in the definition of garbage, waste of a dangerous or explosive nature, or human or animal excreta.
k) "Litter" means the disorderly accumulation of objects, especially discarded waste material or scraps.
(Ord. 7-22-85)

951.02 KEEPING OF GARBAGE AND RUBBISH ON PREMISES PRIOR TO REMOVAL.
Tree, bush and bush trimmings intended for removal shall be tied in bundles not exceeding forty-eight inches by eighteen inches in size, shall not exceed seventy-five pounds in weight and need not be placed in containers. All other garbage and rubbish shall be placed in approved containers.
Every occupant of premises from which garbage and rubbish are to be removed shall deposit all garbage and rubbish in such containers as shall prevent the same from being scattered or blown upon any other premises or public ways in the City to cause litter. The City shall pick up uncontained garbage and rubbish monthly. (Ord. 10-23-95)

951.99 SERVICE FEE; POWERS OF DIRECTOR OF FINANCE; PENALTIES FOR NONPAYMENT, EFFECTIVE DATE.

a) A penalty of ten percent (10%) of the state fee shall be added for failure to pay the installments due on the specified dates. Additionally, or in the alternative, any person, firm, corporation, governmental entity or other entity violating any provision of this article for which no other penalty is provided shall be fined not more than five hundred dollars ($500 00) or imprisoned not more than thirty (30) days, or both.
b) If any person shall violate or cause to be violated any provision of Article 951 they shall be subject to a fine of not more than five hundred dollars ($500.00) and/or up to thirty (30) days in jail.