By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Now might be a good time to touch up that peeling paint, tuckpoint that chimney, and firm up that sagging front porch.
Starting in April, a housing inspector from the Wood County Health District will be making the rounds in Bowling Green, checking out residences – all 5,524 or more.
It’s time for the housing exterior survey which the city contracts for every five year from the county health district. The contract is a “unique arrangement,” according to Lana Glore, of the environmental division of the health district.
In most cases, health districts respond on a complaint basis. “You’re kind of putting fires out,” she said.
But in Bowling Green, the city tries to keep those fires from ever starting by having the surveys done every five years.
“To me, it looks like it works,” Glore said.
The inspector will go from home to home, April through August, looking at exteriors that can be viewed from public property.
“Every house is looked at,” Glore said.
The data collected will be compiled in September through November. Then the results will be reported to council in December.
Each home will be surveyed for 14 primary categories: Roofs, siding conditions, stairs and railings, windows, foundations, driveways, public walkways, chimneys, porches, doors, accessory structures, soffits and roof edging, private walks and exterior sanitation.
They will also be surveyed for 10 non-primary categories: Paint, attached garage, grading and drainage, yard maintenance, siding type, gutters and downspouts, garage condition, dumpsters, starlings and pigeons, and whether or not an address is present.
Homes that are substandard in two or three primary categories are classified as “deficient.” Homes that are substandard in four or more are classified as “neglected.”
Owners of neglected homes are sent letters explaining the deficiences.
During the last housing survey in 2011, a total of 5,524 homes were surveyed. A total of 628 primary deficiencies were found. Deficient homes numbered 86, and neglected homes totaled 7.
The 2011 survey showed some improvements from the results of the 2006 survey when 1,614 primary deficiencies were noted. Deficient homes numbered 295 and neglected homes 34 in 2006.
The most common issues seen in the last survey were problem porches (120), stairs and railings (70), soffits and roof edges (54), roofs (54), accessory structures (51) and exterior sanitation (51).
Enforcement follows these steps:
- 30 days to comply.
- Correct or plan to correct within 10 days, or civil infraction may be issued if no response.
- Civil infraction issued, possible criminal citation initiated.
Glore said the health district is reasonable with homeowners as long as the owners show willingness to work on the problems.
“We serve the general public, that’s our job,” Glore said.
Glore was asked by council member Daniel Gordon how many of the homes with problems are rentals, and how many involve repeat offenders. Glore said she would try to get that data.
