×
×
homepage logo

Council Responds To Complaints

By Staff | Jul 16, 2014

Brooklyn resident Kristi Gieseke attended the July 7 New Martinsville Council meeting to follow up on issues she had raised at the June meeting.

She had asked the city to try to develop a partnership with CSX, “It’ll help not just Brooklyn, but all of the city,” she said.

Mayor Keith Nelsen said the city had written and sent the letter, but failed to send a copy to Gieseke, as requested.

As for her questions to about possibly repairing the small street on the west side of the railroad that connects Foundry and Commercial streets, Councilwoman Iris “Deaner” Isaacs said it is owned by CSX. Gieseke said he realized that, but wondered if it could be improved.

“That was just a common courtesy of letting us use that,” said Isaacs. CSX will not let it be blacktopped.

Gieseke then said the Commercial Street crossing becomes the primary crossing and it cannot be traversed without going very slowly. She wondered if it could be improved.

“We’ve asked that same question in the letter that we sent,” said Nelsen. “We have not had a response yet.”

As for complaints on dilapidated buildings, another of Gieseke’s complaints, she said she filled out complaints and turned them in to the city. She further said other people have told her they have filled out 14 complaints on one property and nothing is done about them.

“We get a lot of complaints on the same property,” acknowledge Building Inspector

Joe Hanna. “They are acted on. They are very difficult to resolve. We are actively trying to take care of them.”

He said there are many to address and he takes care of them one at a time.

Isaacs also addressed Gieseke’s statements about Hanna’s treatment of her, previously, when her property was being addressed for clean up.

Isaacs read from letters from Hanna to Gieseke on April 5, 2000,and June 29, 2000.

“You gave the impression that you were treated unfairly,” said Isaacs. Gieseke said she did not say that.

“I felt the rules are applied differently to people now than they were to us back then,” said Gieseke.

“I can’t get every one of them (dilapidated properties) taken care of. It doesn’t happen here in New Martinsville and it doesn’t happen in Wheeling,” said Hanna. He cited the former Thomas Drug property on North Street as an example. The owner lives in Canada, so he can’t go get them. Demolition would cost $40,000.

“I will defend Joe. He does work on these issues every single day,” said Councilman Steve Pallisco.