Board passes housing standards
By Steve Herring
Published in News on November 2, 2016 10:53 AM
Only one person spoke during a Tuesday morning public hearing on a new minimum housing standards ordinance for county before it was unanimously approved by Wayne County commissioners.
And she only wanted to know where she could find a copy of the ordinance to review.
The speaker, Shirley Edwards, was told that copies of the ordinance are available online at the county website, waynegov.com.
She reminded commissioners that not everyone in the county has Internet and sought assurances that paper copies would be available.
County Planning Director Chip Crumpler said paper copies are available at his office and the office of County Manager George Wood.
Mrs. Edwards said she supported the proposal.
The standards apply to both site-built dwellings and manufactured homes.
"Previously the county addressed manufactured housing separately from site-built type dwellings," Crumpler said. "This ordinance combines the two. It does not single out manufactured housing."
Minimum standards for site-built dwellings include structural condition, plumbing, heating, electrical, ventilation, standards for space and control of insects, rodents and infestations, Crumpler said.
For manufactured homes, the standards include HUD requirements and tax permits, exterior condition, doors and windows, under pinning, structural condition, electrical, heating and plumbing, he said.
"It also spells out the responsibilities of owners and residents and the county's responsibilities," Crumpler said. "It has been reviewed by the county's legal staff."
Commissioner Wayne Aycock questioned if the county was moving too quickly on the proposal and whether the board should delay action until its next meeting.
Chairman Joe Daughtery said that the proposal had been reviewed for the past several months including by County Attorney Borden Parker and Crumpler.
It has been posted online and was also the subject of a board work session on Oct. 18, he said
The proposal and public hearing were advertised twice as well seeking public comment, Crumpler said.
Crumpler said he has received no response.
"How far out in the yard does this take it?" Commissioner Ed Cromartie said.
The ordinance applies only to the structure, Crumpler said.
"Do we have anything in place that takes care of the yard?" Cromartie said.
Not currently, Crumpler said.
"That is another topic for another day," Daughtery said.
Parker asked Cromartie what he was specifically talking about.
"There are instance in my district where the housing is in bad shape, but it has spilled over into the yard -- trees, unkept shrubbery in several locations that are more hazardous than the house itself," Cromartie said.
"I am looking specifically at the control of insects, rodents and infestations."
If it a health hazard, there are provisions in the Health Department, Parker said.
"The health director can go in and ultimately get an injunction to clean that up," Parker said.