NORWAY – Despite the fact that the proposal has rankled some landlords, Town Manager David Holt still hopes to see a disorderly housing ordinance go to a vote at the annual town meeting in June.
The proposal was drafted in a response to concerns about some rental properties where police answer calls repeatedly, on everything from parties to domestic disputes, Holt and Norway Police Chief Rob Federico have said.
Girl’s letter
At a selectmen’s meeting April 7, Holt passed out a letter from a young girl who attends dance classes near a “problem” residence.
“I am 12 years old and I am a dancer at Art Moves (Dance Studio)” wrote Chloe Bergman-Ray of West Paris. “After two fires in the building next door, it has been very peaceful on Cottage Street.”
The girl was referring to two autumn fires, the first of which destroyed an apartment building at 15 Cottage St. She said the people there always made her nervous. “I was wondering if you could give me any advice of how we could prevent a recurrence of the way Cottage Street was before the fire?” she asked. “Is there anything we could possibly do to keep Cotttage Street safe and quiet?
On Wednesday, Holt said he didn’t propose the disorderly housing ordinance specifically because of the Cottage Street apartment building or its owner, landlord Madeline Pratt. However, he said he’d “be lying” if he denied that it’s an example of the kind of building that concerns him.
“That street has the dance studio, some family homes and a church on it,” Holt said. “I believe that a lot of people, like this young girl, shouldn’t be subject to that behavior.”
An early draft of the disorderly housing ordinance called for fining landlords from $100 to $2,500, plus attorney fees, after more than three police calls to a rental property within 30 days. Holt said Wednesday the number of police visits and the fines are being reconsidered.
The police chief said Wednesday that the ordinance is sorely needed. “We are getting complaints from citizens. They’re saying, Every single night, we see your cars at this (or that) apartment house.'”
At a March 3 selectmen’s meeting, Federico used Pratt’s buildings as an example of the police time spent at many rental properties. Police had responded to six of her buildings a total of 210 times in a year, he said.
Workshop planned
Not all landlords have problems with their tenants, Federico said.
In order to try and work with landlords who have concerns about their ability to control their tenants, Federico has arranged a workshop with a code enforcement officer and an assistant district attorney at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the town office.
Madeline Pratt isn’t encouraged by such efforts. “As far as I’m concerned, a landlord cannot control a tenant’s actions,” she said when reached at home Wednesday.
Pratt said she’s against fining landlords for problem tenants. The problem, she said, is not the landlords, but the fact that society has changed. Perhaps people need to go to Sunday school to learn better behavior, she suggested.
Pratt has been in the rental business about 60 years and owns 17 pieces of property, including an office and rooming houses, she said.
Oxford Police Chief Ron Kugell also is in the rental housing business in Norway. He said Wednesday he appreciates what the town is trying to do, but he won’t speak in favor of the disorderly housing ordinance as it’s now proposed.
“I think their heart’s in the right place, but they have to come up with a different way to solve it,” he said, noting his opposition to the possible fines.
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