By REID TUCKER
Thoughtful suggestions and constructive criticisms were the result when city government officials and citizens alike met to take the first stab at crafting a blight ordinance for DeFuniak Springs.
The workshop, which took place the evening of Monday, Oct. 20, at the city Community Center, came about after several recent City Council discussions revolved around how to handle the issues associated with dilapidated homes on Circle Drive, Sloss Avenue and others. Later, city staff compiled an extensive list of talking points and possibilities for a prospective blight ordinance, but a mix-up in the presentation of the draft led to much public confusion, with the prevailing opinion being that the draft ordinance went too far. The city took public comments and suggestions for a month and then scheduled the workshop, which was designed to give citizens a chance to voice their concerns in person.
The public’s interest in having a clear, practical and enforceable blight ordinance on the books was well attested by the 30 or so citizens at the meeting, and several had their say regarding the problems of and the solutions to the matter of blight. So too did the Council members and city staff, with everyone in attendance, regardless of their views, agreeing that the best way forward is for residents and government to unite behind a common goal. Councilman Kermit Wright, who in the past assisted residents in cleaning up their properties, said the concerns of individual property owners had to be balanced against the public interest of keeping DeFuniak beautiful and safe for all residents.
“We’ve got to work together as a community,” he said. “We’ve got to do what it takes. I have a lot of rights as a homeowner, but I do not have the right to deteriorate my neighbor’s property.”
The Council members and the residents in attendance preferred the Crestview ordinance’s definition of blight, which is described as unoccupied, abandoned, boarded up, and partially destroyed buildings or those left for “unreasonably long periods of time” in a state of disrepair. For example, structures with broken windows, partial walls and unpainted surfaces, among other signs of neglect, as well as those in construction for three years or more that “substantially detract” from the appearance of the immediate neighborhood or reduces the value of nearby property are considered blight. However, Code Enforcement Officer Jason O’Daniels said that, while these definitions provide a basic standard, a good deal of thought needs to be given to removing as much subjectivity as possible from whatever ordinance is eventually adopted.
Robert McKnight, a city resident with what he describes as a “blighted house” next door to him, agreed with O’Daniels, by saying that objective criteria that can be easily defined and agreed upon by all citizens is of critical importance, especially when it comes to unforeseen consequences. Though McKnight acknowledged the considerations of special needs communities, he doesn’t want an ordinance that can be easily taken advantage of by irresponsible homeowners, he said.
“The problem with blight is that it’s similar to pornography in that we may not be able to define it, but we know it when we see it,” McKnight said. “Blight can mean different things wherever you are, so we need to be careful.”
Councilman Ron Kelley advocated implementing the new ordinance, whatever definitions and penalties it might include, in phases, working out the teething issues that may arise in high-traffic areas like the historic district and along the main commercial corridors first before moving on to residential areas.
That view was shared by a number of the audience members who spoke at the workshop, with several different viewpoints put forward by each speaker at the lectern. Special emphasis was given to the cases of low- or fixed income individuals and families and minorities.
Doris Johnson said beautifying the city was important, but jobs to lift low-income families and minorities out of poverty was perhaps more important, as better pay would go a long way toward helping people avoid blight violations.
“Nobody wants to live in substandard surroundings, but people need jobs first,” Johnson said. “The unemployed and the under-employed are struggling to put food on the table. When they can support their families they’ll focus on improving their properties.”
Melissa Hinson agreed, saying that trying to “do home improvement on food stamps or social security is pretty much impossible,” adding that the city needs to consider how long a homeowner has to comply with its eventual blight ordinance, once it is decided. Ernest Whitehead, who said he’d mowed a neighboring property himself to make it more presentable, said the city do more to board up abandoned buildings in order to keep out vagrants and to discourage prostitution and drug-related crimes.
Other suggestions put forward by audience members included a call from Shayne Betts to organize a committee made up of representatives from affected communities where blight is prevalent, an idea seconded by former City Councilman James Huffman, who also spoke at the meeting. Huffman said hearing from all segments of DeFuniak’s population would help the city understand citizens’ concerns.
“We’re trying to make an ordinance to take care of individual incidences, when we should be thinking of one that can be for all cases,” he said. “Maybe there is a way we can work together on this.”
As the meeting drew to a close, the Council’s consensus was that more feedback is needed before anything definite regarding a blight ordinance can be decided on. Mayor Bob Campbell said another workshop may be held in the future, and the suggestions brought forward at this first one will shortly be made available for the public’s consideration.
