or
yD' a y
The recently ena ted city
rental regi tration ordinance re­
quiring all rental propertie in
the city pay a regi tration fee
was oppo d by landlords
who claim the ordinance causes
them n extra burden.
m 25] ndlords attended
the ov., 5 City Cornmi ion
meetin to k the Com­
mi ion to extend the registra-
tion to 90 day and lower its
fee.
The rental registration
ordinance call for both public
nd private landlord to pay a
regist ration fee annually for all
rental unit. The ordinance
requires a certificate of occu­
pancy for eac rental unit and a
registration fe of 30 for single
family dwelling and 25 per
unit for multiple-family dwel­
lings. The deadline for all
rental properties be registered
with the city was ov. 5.
Charles Long. a member of
the Berrien County Landlord
pro
ee
A ciation, who fives at i 50
Eastern A e. denied that the
association even gree to the
pproval of this ordinance.
Long id landlords are up t
with this ordinance. City
taxes were rai d to the highest
possible milage and now land­
lords are faced with paying
the e additional fee, Long aid.
According to Long, "we (the
asso iation) believe the ordin­
ance is ill gal, di criminatory
and see this as a retailitory
action by doubling the fees. ,.
Tommy Vaden, pa tor of
Mount of the Good Shepherd
Apostolic Faith Church, �6 75
Burkett, TownJine, said he
would like to' see the fee
abolished all together because
it adds an extra burden on
landlords. ' I t is honestly un­
f:' for landlords to have. an
extra burden put on them."
She added, 'I survive only on
this rent money. I keep my
property up. the best I can and
my . tenants are not complain-
B. H. PubJ i c Work He'J pi ng
Senior with home repa ir
BE TO H RBOR - The
Senior Citizen Center of Ben­
ton Harbor and Benton Town-
hip is coordinating with the
Benton Harbor Department of
Public ork, in getting certain
repair work nd lawn care work
done for eli ible re idents within
the city of Benton Ii rbor,
ccording to en Platt Out-
reach worker.
m of the rvices are:
minor r f repair, minor car­
pentry repair, minor interrior
p inting and minor inst llation
of torm window. Raking of
Ie ve, removin of he vy un­
u d items and snow removal
from Ik and driveways con-
titute lawn rvices vailable.
Such rvice i available only
y
ase
By D' a yle
BE TO HARBOR - Dur-
ing the Oct. 29 Commis ion
meeting the Commi ion adopt­
ed a ne ordinance allowing
the City Attorney to pro cute
small chec ca for non
sufficient fund and for small
amounts of marijuana and other
drug di covered during traffic
inve tig tion.
ommi ioners were told the
County pro cutor did Inot have
the taff to handl the problem.
In other busine , Commis­
sioners Charles Yarbrough and
director of Public Works and
ecreation Carl Brown asked
r a public apol gy from
George y in er.
Yarbrough and Brown were
nam d by yinger a people
ho had threatened his life.
City an ger lIis it chell
t Id the commi ionershe finds
it ironic th t a per on who's
li� supp
thened h
dly ha been threa­
n t filed a complaint
to the handicapped, and elder­
ly persons with low income.
The senior cen ter outreach
program will investigate all such
service requests for applicant
eligibility and forward referrals
to the Benton Harbor Depart­
ment of Public Works which
will supply the labor for each.
case.
It is pointed. out that the
applicant must be living in their
own hom and mu t agree
beforehand to pay for any costs
for nece ary materials required
for the ta k.
Anyone contacting the enior
center should ask for r. Platt
on phone number 927-2497
during afternoons until 3:00
p.m.
coun
with the Police Department
which i the first step, he added.
Mitchell at an earlier meeting
id he disappro es of an
member of his staff going
around threatening people.
Wysinger who is heading a
recall against ayor Wilce Cooke
said he has' been receiving
threats from orne of Cooke
upporters due to his recall
efforts.
The Commis ion approved
the purcha of tax-reverted
properties deeded to the city
by the State of ichigan, De­
partment of atural Re ources,
for non payment or back taxes.
According to William Lilly,
director of Community Service ,
about 55 vacant lots and 26
structures have been offered to
the city.
The 81 properties �re located
at: ] t 65 Bishop sr.. 522 E.
Britain sr.: 1175 Broadway t.;
64) Clay St.: ) t 0 olumbus
St.: 6 5 aiden Ln.: 775
t_
109," Rev. Vaden id.
City anager Ellis itchell,
said the ordinance is intended to
provide good, safe and healthy
housing for city residents.
itchell said he solicited
input for drafting the ordinance
d had a series of meetings with
private landlords and tenant
NOVEMBER 7 - 13, 1984 THE CITIZEN
groups prior to pa ag of the
ordinance.
According to itchell the fee
will cover the cost of the in­
spector coming out ot inspect
rental units. Mitchell said the
inspectors will provide a full
report to the property owners.
He added if the inspector
HO ORS CHOIR - The ichigan School Vocal dation held
audition for its Regional Hono Otoir at Olivet Coli . There
were 370 dent auditioning for 170 p in the choir. Ben-
ton Harbor dent earning the honor ere, I.-rt., TOP PI
front row, Jared Gra e , Mark Green, Elquine Rice and Terry
• Rice. Sac ro ,Joy Cren ,Li De berry, Tami Priebe and
onique Randle. BOrrO PICTURE: Front ro ,Jerome Wood,
Eric Bradley, Cory F 0 ler, and Rod Jennings. Back ro , Brenda
Martin, Glenda nd Lacy Payno. (D. Kyl photo)
y prosec
McAJli ter St.; 841 Ogden St.;
546 Pavone St.; 836 Pearl St.;
1161 Pearl St.; 577 Plummer
Ct.; 1161 Hurd St.; 399 E.
Britain Ave.; 800 E. Britain
Ave.; 1040 Columbus St.' 711
E. High sr., 856 E. High St.;
711 Highland Ave.' 1251 Jen­
nings si.. 799 laSalle sr., '603
Superior St.; 626 Territorial si..
600 Terrirotial St.; 674
Thresher and 677 Thresher St.:
Benton Harbor.
Others are: 140 Apple St.:
170 Bellview; 247 Bellview: I 59
E. Britain: 353 E. Britain' 328 E.
Britain' 328 Broadway; 545
Broadway: 645 Br adway; 343
Brunson St.: 384 Brun n: 506
CaJtalpa si.: 30 Clay sr.. 559
Columbus' 771 Columbus: 876
Columbus: 480 Edwards' 280
E. Empire; 495 Edwards' 560
E. Empire; 249 High; 390
High; 377 Hi h; ... 53 Jefferson
St.; 159 Lake; 432 . Main:
612 . Main � 412 Miller St.:
44 Mom Sr.: 5::!S ile t.:
PAGE THREE
cites violations a reinspect ion
will be needed to ee if viola­
tion have been corrected.
Mayor ilce Cooke aid h
has been informed by Housin
and Urban D velopment (H D
that the city would not be pro­
vided fund to build new hou
in the city until the pre nt
house are rehabilitated and
brought up to standard c n­
dition.
Coo e indicated that t h
ordinance is not aimed at
causing any undue burdens n
the landlords. According t
Cooke, "progres means chan
and you can't have progr . I
withou t change." Cooke saki,
"We ant the residents to
winners and not 10 er . '
on-compliance with til.
ordinanc carries a fine of . I
least 25 and/or 90 day in jail.
In oth r matters, the CQm­
mission met in clo d e i n
to discu pending litigation,
Morgan v the City. After the
short rece , City lerk Mar­
garet Bo man, read the re lut­
ion which stated that Edward
organ accepted a 1000 nle­
ment from the city for wrongful
discharge.
Voting in favor of payin
the judgement were: Com­
missioners Arnold Bolin, Juanita
Echols, Charles Hender on,
orval ei s Ralph Crenshaw,
Michael Govato, Randall Jur­
gensen and Mayor Cooke. Corn­
rrussioner Charles Yarbrough
cast the lone no vote.
Commission also: I
-Approved the sale of a
police vehicle, a J 978 Fairmont
Ford at auction.
-Approved the sale of city­
owned property on Eleventh
St., to Consumers Investment
for 1500. The property i
located behind the 777 River­
view Drive Complex. Con umers
Investment proposes to debrush
the land, level and fill it t
improve the overall appearance
of the area.
I
I
,
or s war
oa
349 Ohio St.; 390 Ohio St.:
411 P ckard; 419 Park; 420
Park; 427 Park; 412 Pavone
St.; 422 Pavone; 724 .Pavone;
698 Pearl; 596 Pipestone si.,
298 Pleasant S1.; 578 Plummer
ci.. 410 Riford St.; 630 River­
side St.; 632 Riverside and
711 Riverside St., Benton Har-
bor.
Vacant lots include: 414
Summit � 65) Superior; 834
Superior; 730 Thresher' 495
Vineyard: 471 Winans; 426
Vineyard and 412 Weld.
-The Commi sion approved
the sale of Spelman Vinegar
orks Building to Walter Wolf
for $10,000 plus clo ing cost.
-The Commi ion approved
application for a 50,000
eighborhood Devel pment
D m n tration Grant from th
Hou ing and rban De el P:
ment H D. The fund will
be u d f r a pr p ed beauti­
fi ati n pr ject.
-The Commi ion approv d
releasing a lien on property at
1110 Pavone. The prop rty i
owned by Barbara Jone. The
city has h d a lien on the pr -
perty since Oct. 3 t 981.
-The Commi ion ppr d
the purchase of two Underb d '
Scrapers and Refurbi hment
two truck beds.
-The Commi ion adopted a
resolution recognizing the Fire­
men's Benefit Fund as a n n­
profit Organization.
In oth r matters, ornrni:
ioner Yarbrough in a let t 1
dated Oct. 26, critised C III
mi ioner who have not b CI
attending c mmitte rneetiru;
on a regular basi .
Yarbrough rotc, "auci
dence at c mmitte m et Ill:'
ha been extrem ly p r. Th,
re ult many item re del', cd
du to la f ad quare know­
led n the part f ornmis­
r .