Despite dangerously undemocratic provisions in it, Monday Evening the Cascade City Council voted 5-0 for an amendment to the Nuisance Ordinance. There were several building owners in chamber, one of whom, Jake McAllister, asked how long it would take to enact. (After the 1st of the year.) It doesn't require a genius IQ to understand that the ordinance, which allows the city to act against a property owner for "General dilapidation or improper maintenance," could very easily be abused. After the 1st and 2nd provisions, most of the rest of the ordinance is an enumeration of the specific conditions under which the city can order a property owner to make the changes, but there seems to be nothing to protect the property owner. Clear and present nuisances like flooding and toxic chemicals being sprayed on people are not classified as nuisances, but when the business community wants to condemn some building, well folks, that's a nuisance.
Council has also voted to go forward the an agreement with ECIA for Building Inspection Services, the cost of which will be borne by the homeowner. Council voted to increase Garbage collection rates across the board, not bothering to set up changing scheme that penalizes heavy garbage producers or rewards composters, recyclers, reusers and gardeners.
Watching those poor sad people in Ukraine fight for democracy and going to Cascade City Council meetings is about the most dispiriting activity anyone could imagine. Some democracy.
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