Post by admin on Mar 7, 2007 17:36:22 GMT -5
Freehold is trying to protect safety of all its residents
Responding to Angel Matos' letter to the News Transcript ("Cultural Harmony Would Be Worth Pursu-ing in Freehold," Feb. 28), there is no need for anyone to defend Freehold Bor-ough's code enforcement efforts. They are designed for the safety and well-being of all residents of the town. If a disaster in town took place, with great loss of life, who would be blamed if we were not vigilant in trying to prevent such an unfortunate occurrence?
Matos' quote that "a much more reasonable and productive approach to these issues (illegal immigration) can be found in Keyport. In Keyport, the Borough Council opted to aggressively enforce existing ordinances to deal with landlords that are either exploiting immigrants, or otherwise violating the rules of tenanting," is a very accurate account of the developments in Keyport over the past 12 to 15 months, when his town officially attempted to pass a Riverside-Hazleton-type ordinance.
Matos points to Keyport's decision to, instead, get tougher with bad landlords. A better decision, we agree. But, we also remind him that fairness dictates shifting some of the responsibility to bad tenants, too.
Like Keyport, improving code enforcement is exactly what Freehold Borough is doing and what was recommended by the Rental Advisory Board with significant input from many state and national housing experts in issuing 14 viable suggestions. We are working to improve code enforcement throughout our town, especially at our rental properties. Local newspapers are praising our efforts. Our public demands we do this. And, it is the right thing to do - for efficient management.
There are no plans to adopt committee item No. 15, a Riverside-Hazleton-like ordinance, in Freehold Borough. There-fore, nothing else recommended by the "whole of the committee" can be seen as anything more than "anti-bad" landlord and tenant measures that all towns enforce. With more than 1,900 rental properties, many landlords and tenants do the right thing and are never cited by our officials. It is only a large handful that defy our housing codes and place themselves and others at personal risk.
The greatest gift we can give all Freehold Borough residents is the reality of safety and good property management. A fire at an overcrowded property in Asbury Park last week underlines the need for this, not just in Freehold, but everywhere.
Matos seems to have a legitimate role in the Keyport community and his message (save using the term "anti-immigrant") is much more respectable and polished than what we have been exposed to here in Freehold Borough. And, remember that Keyport came much closer to passing a Riverside-like ordinance than Freehold Borough ever has.
Perhaps, if local advocates adopted a similar tone, a better dialogue can be had between who may disagree on either side, and the business of running a town better and more efficiently will not be impeded.
Marc Le Vine
Councilman
Freehold Borough
newstranscript.gmnews.com/news/2007/0307/Letters/111.html
Responding to Angel Matos' letter to the News Transcript ("Cultural Harmony Would Be Worth Pursu-ing in Freehold," Feb. 28), there is no need for anyone to defend Freehold Bor-ough's code enforcement efforts. They are designed for the safety and well-being of all residents of the town. If a disaster in town took place, with great loss of life, who would be blamed if we were not vigilant in trying to prevent such an unfortunate occurrence?
Matos' quote that "a much more reasonable and productive approach to these issues (illegal immigration) can be found in Keyport. In Keyport, the Borough Council opted to aggressively enforce existing ordinances to deal with landlords that are either exploiting immigrants, or otherwise violating the rules of tenanting," is a very accurate account of the developments in Keyport over the past 12 to 15 months, when his town officially attempted to pass a Riverside-Hazleton-type ordinance.
Matos points to Keyport's decision to, instead, get tougher with bad landlords. A better decision, we agree. But, we also remind him that fairness dictates shifting some of the responsibility to bad tenants, too.
Like Keyport, improving code enforcement is exactly what Freehold Borough is doing and what was recommended by the Rental Advisory Board with significant input from many state and national housing experts in issuing 14 viable suggestions. We are working to improve code enforcement throughout our town, especially at our rental properties. Local newspapers are praising our efforts. Our public demands we do this. And, it is the right thing to do - for efficient management.
There are no plans to adopt committee item No. 15, a Riverside-Hazleton-like ordinance, in Freehold Borough. There-fore, nothing else recommended by the "whole of the committee" can be seen as anything more than "anti-bad" landlord and tenant measures that all towns enforce. With more than 1,900 rental properties, many landlords and tenants do the right thing and are never cited by our officials. It is only a large handful that defy our housing codes and place themselves and others at personal risk.
The greatest gift we can give all Freehold Borough residents is the reality of safety and good property management. A fire at an overcrowded property in Asbury Park last week underlines the need for this, not just in Freehold, but everywhere.
Matos seems to have a legitimate role in the Keyport community and his message (save using the term "anti-immigrant") is much more respectable and polished than what we have been exposed to here in Freehold Borough. And, remember that Keyport came much closer to passing a Riverside-like ordinance than Freehold Borough ever has.
Perhaps, if local advocates adopted a similar tone, a better dialogue can be had between who may disagree on either side, and the business of running a town better and more efficiently will not be impeded.
Marc Le Vine
Councilman
Freehold Borough
newstranscript.gmnews.com/news/2007/0307/Letters/111.html