By RICK MILLER
Olean Star
OLEAN — Concerns were raised over camping tents being used in side yards in the city as temporary housing for homeless people at Tuesday’s Olean Common Council meeting.
Common Council President John Crawford, D-Ward 5, raised the issue after a resident of his ward complained that someone had been living in a tent adjacent to her side yard for some time.
Crawford told council members during the Public Safety Committee meeting that he has been working with City Attorney Jack Hart and Code Enforcement to come up with a definition of temporary housing structures.
Crawford suggested a 14-day limit on tents located in side yards.
Public Safety Committee Chairman Vernon Robinson Jr., I-Ward 6, said that while the tents Crawford was talking about may not look good, he didn’t like the city telling him what they can and can’t do on their property. Changing the code to fit the purpose of controlling the use of camping tents could have unintended consequences for others, he added.
It’s a fine line between order and cleanliness in a neighborhood, Crawford agreed, A proactive way of addressing the concern is needed to avoid situations that occurred earlier this summer in Salamanca and Jamestown where police removed tents where people were living on public and private land.
Code Enforcement has limited authority over camping tents on private property in the city, Crawford said. The exceptions would include a nuisance or insanitary conditions.
Alderman Jason Panus, R-Ward 2, said he felt it there was a massive problem with people living in tents, enforcement of existing laws should be able to take care of it.
Aldermen agreed it would be difficult to tell a resident they could allow someone to live in a tent in their backyard.
Code Enforcement Officer Firefighter Greg Eaton said Codes could get involved in the event of unsanitary conditions. He said the City Code refers to trailers and camps as prohibited activities, but there is no reference to camping tents.
Crawford also mentioned an “encampment” on the dikes behind the Pines Healthcare and Rehabilitation campus which he came across on Friday. Police have been advised, he added.
Crawford admitted a “homeless problem” in the city and said by removing them from tents in sideyards and backyards where they had permission, they could end up on North Union Street.
Robinson said the committee needed more information before proceeding with a change to the City Code. He said he would bring the issue up again in two weeks.
The city’s efforts to end sewage overflows into the Allegheny River remained stalled Tuesday as the date for request for proposals passed without any proposals.
Brad Camp, Water and Sewer Departments director, told the Finance Committee that no bids were received, but two companies remain interested and would probably submit bids if the RFP were to be rebid. One company suggested a change in the approach to the proposal to concentrate on areas that drain into pump stations where there have been problems, he said.
Downspouts from residential and commercial roofs are often connected to sanitary sewers, which increase the flow of water into pump stations until they are overwhelmed and water containing untreated sewage is diverted to the river or Olean Creek.
Camp noted that a previous study from 1999-2002 charted hundreds of potential sources that were leading to sewage overflows in times of heavy rains. He suggested looking at 50 of the sources tagged in the report.
Robinson asked if the Water and Sewer departments could check roof drain hookups to determine if they are illegally connected to sewer pipes.
Crawford said city water and sewer crews are already busy and would not have time to do the additional work. Camp agreed. The extra water during storms gets into the sewer pipes from downspouts, catch basins and sump pumps.
Residents and business owners will need to be notified of illegal hookups and given time to correct them, Camp said.
Finance Committee Chairman Sonja McCall, D-Ward 4, asked whether homeowners could be asked to verify the connections.
Crawford responded by saying, “We need to hire someone. We don’t have the manpower to do it.” He agreed with Alderman Lawrence Bennion Jr., R-Ward 1, that forcing sump pumps to be disconnected from the sewer lines was “a non-starter.”
McCall asked why the report was never followed up on.
Camp, who was not with the city at the time of the 1999-2002 study, said the state at the time recommended the city concentrate on increasing the capacity of the sewage treatment plant.
Robinson said he thought the city could follow up on the 1999-2002 study “in-house.”
Bennion asked if the problems detailed in the earlier report were fixed would “it stop the overflows?”
Camp said the city’s average 3 million gallons a day of sewage spikes to as much as 8 million gallons after a 2-inch rainstorm. That’s 5 million excess gallons from rain.
In the Youth and Recreation Committee, Chairman Jennifer Forney, R-Ward 3, and McCall detailed items they’d like to see accomplished at Franchot Park with $50,000 that had been earmarked for the park years ago.
The items ranged from improving the Greene Street entrance to the park, improved signage and renovating the horseshoe pits and basketball court.
Aldermen agreed the updates are overdue and will begin planning to undertake the improvements starting next year.
