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Priceless Take One Vol. 19 Number 43 An Award Winning Weekly Newspaper Thursday, April 14, 2011 Four Student Renters Sentenced To 15-Days By Jon A. Brake The City of Manhattan Codes Department, using the new Rental Inspection Editorial Program filed complaints in By Jon A. Brake Manhattan Municipal Court Tuesday, a Manhattan Municipal Court Judge sentenced against five student renters four young renters to 15-days in jail for violating the new last month. Rental Inspection Program. Another will stand trial on the Tuesday, four of the five charges. pled to the three charges But, Wait! This Ordinance was passed to rid the City of what each and were sentenced to some called “Slum Landlords” not to put students into jail with 15 days in jail. They were harden criminals. also put on probation for 9 Again we will say you can not give City officials this kind months and ordered to pay of power. Fifteen days in jail is excessive. fines of $50 court costs and Count 2 in part reads: “willfully, unlawfully, and inten- restitution. tionally ‘fail to keep a clean, sanitary and safe condi- The final person has had tion for that part of the dwelling unit’”. If a renter his case set to go to trial on wants to live like a slob that is between him or her and May 17th. the Landlord. It should not be part of a rental inspection There were three com- program. plaints filed in Court. Count 3 in part reads: “willfully, unlawfully, and Count 1: “That on or intentionally ‘fail to keep doors and hardware in good about March 22, 2011, the condition.’” What? Local Attorney Joe Knopp served in the Kansas House of Representatives from 1980 above named defendant How can any Judge send someone to Jail for 15-days to 1988. He has helped many get elected to local and state office. within the corporate limits of on these two Counts? The Ordnance is un-needed and so the above named City and is any Judge that would consider these Counts. State, did then and there in Yes, Count 1 deals with damage to property. That is a violation of the ordinances problem for the Landlord. But the State of Kansas gives Joe Knopp’s of said City willfully, unlaw- the Landlord the right to go into State Court to get resti- fully, and intentionally tution. Again the City Ordinance is not necessary. ‘cause the unit to fail the Election Thoughts rental inspection due to tenant damage to the prop- code violations read like dry chute door on the erty’; said offense occurred this: upstairs landing.” At the outset, I must com- apartments and big box $100,000? $75,000? Any • #11 - “Housekeeping • #37 - “repair the hole in plement any public official retail strip. (Did this amount on or about 4:00 pm at 1818 money the city received Fairchild Avenue. Issue - The bathroom needs the wall behind the door of who serves the public and to a $13 million dollar “give from Dial could have Count 2: “That on or to be cleaned, sink, shower, the SE upstairs bedroom.” stands for election. I can’t be away” to Dial?) bought other property critical of the past commis- The development agree- about March 22, 2011, the floor, toilet. All surfaces.” • #39 - “Repair the door around downtown for park- frame of the SE upstairs bed- sion, because John Matta and ment provided that the city ing. No such luck. above named defendant • #12 - “Housekeeping room.” Wynn Butler could not have would be financially At a minimum, the city within the corporate limits of Issue - The kitchen needs to been elected without the responsible if the project did could have just asked that the above named City and be cleaned, walls, floor, • #40 - “Replace the miss- actions of Bruce Snead, Jim not generate enough tax rev- the current contract be State, did then and there in counter tops. All surfaces.” ing cover on the doorbell Sherow and Jayme Morris enue to pay the bonds. As enforced. Tell Dial to pull violation of the ordinances • #15 - “The main floor located on the wall of the Hardeman over the past year. one small part of the devel- up their big boy pants and of said City willfully, unlaw- bedroom door is detached upstairs landing or remove it If we are not happy with the opment agreement, Dial do what they promised. fully, and intentionally ‘fail from the bottom hinge.” if it is inoperable.” past commissioners, we can promised to make payments Instead city staff recom- to keep a clean, sanitary • #16 - “Repair the door • #41 - “The smoke alarm only blame ourselves in 2011 (and thereafter) if mended and the commission and safe condition for that frame and door latching at the top of the basement because we elected them or Lot 10 was not valued at voted to forgive the con- part of the dwelling unit, mechanism in the main floor stairs does not work when we did not vote and allowed $8.4 Million. Dial signed tractual obligation that Dial rooming unit, housekeep- bedroom.” tested.” someone else elect them. the deal. The city commis- owed to the people of ing unit or premises which • #17 - “Reattach the metal • #43 - “ Repair or remove Actions taken at the last sion approved it. Manhattan. they occupy or control.” tack strip used to secure the the loose tile on the floor of two city commission meet- Now five years later, it Count 3: “That on or carpet in the entryway of the the basement toilet room.” ings are symbolic of the past appears that the Lot 10 proj- I can’t recall any other about March 22, 2011, the main floor bedroom.” • #48 - “The cover to the 10 years of the current staff ect, as Dial had originally contractual obligation just above named defendant • # 19 - “Repair the hole in furnace needs to be put back and commission’s agenda. proposed is not financially being written off. When within the corporate limits of the east wall of the main on.” Last Tuesday night the com- feasible. This becomes a Colbert Hills got under- floor bedroom.” • #50 - “The washing mission agreed to refurbish a real problem for Dial. They the above named City and charged for water as a result State, did then and there in • #21 - “Living Room - machine is plugged into an baseball field in City Park. A must come up with $50,000 of the City’s negligence, the violation of the ordinances Repair the hole in the west extension cord. This will private citizen agreed to pay a year until there is a devel- City did not say, “We made half of the cost, but the city opment with a value of $8.4 of said City willfully, unlaw- wall.” need to be unplugged, exten- the mistake. We forgive you. sion cords cannot be used in did not have the money to million or more. You don’t have to pay the fully, and intentionally ‘fail • #22 - “Living Room - place of permanent wiring. pay for renovations without contractual obligation for to keep doors and hard- Repair the hole in the ceil- bonding the project for 10 McCullough Develop- water.” Unfortunately for ware in good condition.” ing.” There is an outlet that can be years and pledging to repay ment comes to the rescue. the K-State donors at In a letter dated March 23, • #26 - “The upstairs SW used to the right of the the bonds with money from a McCullough agrees to build Colbert Hills, the city forced 2011 to the Owner and bedroom door handle is bro- dryer.” fund that the state of Kansas a large complex at the cor- them to pay. However, for Agent of 1818 Fairchild ken.” The Rental Inspection controls. Manhattan now has ner of 4th and Leavenworth the rich guys from Nebraska Ave., Inspector Justin Befort • #27 - “Housekeeping Program was intended to get bonded everything from the with “one or two commer- the city agreed to forgive listed 55-code violations. Issue - Clean the upstairs rid of all of what some called downtown and Discovery cial leases and apartments them in excess of $50,000 Most of the violations were bathtub and recaulk between “Slum Landlord” in Center to pools and zoos and with 125 to 127 bedrooms.” for 2011 and future obliga- against the five tenants. the bathtub and the tub sur- Manhattan. even the repair of a ballpark. Unfortunately for down- tions of unknown amounts. The inspector also found round.” The program was passed Our bonded indebtedness of town parking, the new There is no job creation in (one of the violations) that • #33 - “Repair the hole in by Mayor Bruce Snead and the city has gone from $50 McCullough complex will this tax break for Dial. It is a five unrelated people were the wall on the east wall of Commissioners James E. million in 2000 to $250 mil- be built with only 71 park- pure and simple gift for living at the residence. They the NE upstairs bedroom.” Sherow, Loren J. Pepperd lion in 2011. Give away, bor- ing spaces. This complex some guys who will soon have 30-days to have no • #34 - “Repair the door and Jayme Morris- row, tax, and spend sums it will provide less than three sell their property interests more than four living in the frame on the NE upstairs Hardeman over the objec- up. parking spaces for every in Manhattan. They will go house. bedroom.” tions of Loren Pepperd. Bob five residents/bedrooms, back to Omaha laughing all Some of the fifty-five • #35 - “Repair old laun- Strawn recused himself.