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“We haven’t implemented anything for these repeat offenders. Nothing is set up (no punishment). I’ve learned any violation of an ordinance can be an arrestable offense,” Vasquez said.
An update on El Campo’s fight against blight during Monday’s council session ended with city leaders calling for plans to punish repeat offenders.
A demolition near city hall were among the examples touted by city staff.
“I see a lot of progress in the city, a lot of things cleaned up, a lot of enforcement of the sign ordinance ... (but) we’ve got a long ways to go,” District 4 Councilman John Hancock Jr. said.
Hancock has become the blight fight’s champion since Mayor Randy Collins left council in November 2020.
Hancock received support last session from District 1 Councilwoman Anisa Vasquez and District 2 Councilwoman Gloria Harris.
“We haven’t implemented anything for these repeat offenders. Nothing is set up (no punishment). I’ve learned any violation of an ordinance can be an arrestable offense,” Vasquez said.
Harris agreed that consequences for blight violations are minimal.
“Why are the same people the ones we are still dealing with,” she said. “Maybe you (the staff) could give fines.”
Council members each had their own concerns to top the blight issues – a lot on Dunlap Street and an outdoor mechanic’s shop on East Jackson among them.
A city dumping ground is another major blight issue, Hancock said.
“Other than Tom Welfel’s old property (a site across from City Hall), I think the city has the biggest eyesore we’ve got in El Campo,” Hancock said, pointing out concerns with an East Jackson Street lot the public works uses for store building materials as well as larger pieces of concrete or metal junk/trash.
“I appreciate (city staff) picking up (junk), I just wish you’d move them on,” he said.
No action was taken.
Coming This Spring
Additional citywide cleanup efforts are planned for 2023, Sladek said, adding one should target tires specifically on April 29.
The city’s last clean up event in October collected 444 tires, 520 cubic yards of trash/yard debris and 4,748 pounds of junk metal. In April 2022, more than a,500 old tires were brought to the collection site along with more than 150,000 pounds of assorted other trash.
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