“Taking it to the Streets” Program to Return Beginning Next Week
Members of the City’s Health and Building Code Departments will return to the city’s streets this spring and summer, with the mission of identifying and abating nuisance properties throughout Wilkes-Barre beginning on Wednesday, May 2nd.
“Taking It to the Streets” is a weekly operation in which teams of building, health, and rental inspectors dedicate a day to walk each neighborhood and look for violations of the city’s Building & Health Code.
The neighborhood nuisance abatement program debuted last August and resulted over 320 QOL tickets issued, with fines totaling over $19,080 over the course of the 4 month long operation.
This operation is a supplement to NIT Hits, which address specific nuisance properties. While the city will continue to address nuisance properties through tips from residents, the “neighborhood-by-neighborhood” strategy will save time and energy as we tackle these properties.
Additionally, “Taking it to the Streets” teams will enforce the city’s Quality of Life Ordinance and issue tickets for violations of the ordinance, including:
- Lack of maintenance of properties
- Littering
- Improper storage of trash and rubbish
- Storage of inoperable/non-registered vehicles
- High grass and weeds
- Graffiti
- Accumulation of snow and ice on sidewalks
- Outside placement of indoor furniture
- Animal waste accumulation
- Lack of proper permits
More information about the Quality of Life Ordinance can be found on the City’s website at:
www.wilkes-barre.city/health-department/pages/quality-life-ordinance
Residents and media will be alerted to the neighborhoods selected each week, prior to the “Taking it to the Streets” sweeps, via the City’s website, Facebook Page, and media releases.