It doesn't seem fair that this property owner and the houseless residents that live there don't have to follow the strict building codes of the City of Fortuna.
Potential business owners have opted not to open businesses in Fortuna due to the costly and extremely rigid rules enforced by the City's building inspector. In fact, some current business owners have commented that they feel unfairly targeted by the City and that the inspector is absolutely non-collaborative in his dealings with them.
In comparison, when asked about the houseless situation, the City says its hands are tied. The Editors of Above The Fold have a solution--send the building inspector out to the houseless camps on Fortuna Boulevard and levee fines for the many rule infractions--including improper tent installation and lack of plumbing. And I'm quite sure their signs haven't been properly installed (that's one area some Fortuna businesses say they have felt the wrath of the inspector). We've seen the camp on Fortuna Boulevard--and even with our untrained eye--we're pretty sure it is not up to code.
The City of Fortuna needs to help, not hinder, the business and residential community in getting our priorities straight (and be fair across the board) when dealing with infractions and regulations.
6 comments:
What a vicious little opinion! So helpful, so...? Let us all pray you never find yourselves "houseless."
Let us all pray that you never find yourself a small business owner with vagrants confronting your customers with abusive behavior and hurting your already struggling business. It's an emotional issue with more than one aspect to consider.
Go walk along the river bar across the street from Palmer blvd. Or by the first overpass coming into Fortuna from the north,very sophisticated homeless camps with stolen Honda generators,car ports,etc..enjoy
Both of those encampments in the North have been there for a long while. I think there is a church group that regularly takes meals to them. And Fortuna Community Services helps as much as they can. At least part of the area is on County property and out of the City limits. There is compassion for the houseless.
Perhaps if these small business owners hired ...
It's a vicious cycle isn't it? Houseless can't get jobs so some become vagrants and a nuisance to the public, businesses can't hire because sales drop due to vagrants harassing their customers.
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