Amy’s vision for healthy, vibrant neighborhoods includes:
- Identifying property ownership and connecting occupants with improvement resources.
- Enacting tougher penalties for repeat code violators and absentee landlords.
- Empowering police to address properties with consistent illegal activity.
- Hosting town halls and creating a citywide Neighborhood Watch program.
- Regulating tax sale properties to stop predatory purchases.
- Launching the O.L.E.A.N. Program – a grant and tax-incentive initiative for homebuyers who invest in and live in Olean properties for 5+ years.
Restoring Olean’s Neighborhoods
Steps for Success
I. Identify property ownership and occupants.
II. Connect resources to either homeowners or tenants who want to improve and rebuild our community.
III. Enact new laws with “teeth” concerning properties with repeat code violations. Our Code Enforcement Department should enforce compliance with escalating penalties for willful violators which will result in repairing, selling or forfeiture of ownership.
IV. Empower the Olean Police Department with more authority to enforce local laws with stiffer penalties to quickly address homes used or occupied for illegal activity, i.e. The landlord or homeowner may be considered responsible if repeated illegal activities occur and are not addressed. Furthermore, a landlord who intentionally relocates a tenant to another property to evade charges or city code violations will be held liable.
V. Strengthen community participation with town hall meetings, and a city-wide neighborhood watch program spearheaded by the Mayor and City of Olean officials, along with local non-profit organizations that serve our low-income or at-risk population residing in the city.
VI. Increased supervision of property sales in Olean due to unpaid taxes. This would include Cattaraugus County officials and local real estate agencies to coordinate efforts to cease the sale to repeat offenders who target run-down properties with no intention of improving them.
VII. To address the issue of blighted homes in our neighborhoods, implement a new housing program, O.L.E.A.N., Optimizing Lasting Efforts for Aging Neighborhoods. This program will be available to both residents and out-of-town buyers interested in relocating and would include a reduction in property tax for a span of three years. The property’s fair market value on the date of completion will set the future tax rate. In addition to securing finances for renovations, the potential recipient must submit the grant proposal with a plan to remodel the property, scope and cost associated with renovations and a timeline to complete the project not to exceed 2 years from start date. With the support of Cattaraugus County lawmakers, the City of Olean will facilitate the grant program through a committee of knowledgeable members from business and local government dedicated to overseeing Olean’s neighborhoods and future housing market. At the end of the renovation term, the home must meet the specifications outlined in the initial proposal, including the scope and cost associated with the project. Upon the satisfaction of the committee, the property will be free and clear of any financial obligations to the City of Olean or Cattaraugus County, with the stipulation that the owner resides in the home for a minimum of five years from the date of completion. The community’s long-term benefit would be an influx of responsible homeowners contributing to our property taxes, improving the curb appeal of our streets, and reducing crime. This housing program will address urban decay and convert properties back to single-family homes to attract new families who will contribute to the community by living, working, spending, and attending local schools. This will help ensure an equitable quality of life across all neighborhoods in the City of Olean.