Zero tolerance on blight

TOELDO, Ohio - Mayor Carty Finkbeiner said Thursday that his administration is taking a zero tolerance policy on properties he says are a problem within Toledo.

The mayor is very passionate, saying nuisance properties and code violations will not be tolerated, no matter how much flack he takes for it.

"The last thing I'm going to do is worry about some nincompoop's someplace in America saying 'Oh My God'," Mayor Finkbeiner said. "It's not fun when you live next to this."

Mayor Finkbeiner pointed to a business on Alexis Road, property owned by Christian Ewert.

Earlier in the week a lawsuit was filed against the city and an employee on behalf of Ewert, CMT Limited and State Line Group, claiming Sue Frederick, Acting Commissioner of the Division of Streets, Bridges and Harbor, the used a bolt cutter to enter the private storage facility on Sept. 12, 2008.

Frederick had several boats, trailers, mobile homes, and classic cars being stored there, towed.

"I believe that, for whatever reason, Ms. Frederick believes she has the power, under the police powers, to do these things," said Jerry Phillips, an attorney representing Mr. Ewert. "Myself, my client, my co-council, do not believe she has that power and we're going to let the court decide."

Mr. Finkbeiner would not comment on the lawsuit, citing the pending litigation. But he did go to bat for Frederick.

"Stop making anything other than what she is - one of the most conscientious civil servants in the city of Toledo," the mayor said.

"You can see the neighbors looking through their blinds as the property is cleaned up," Frederick added. "That's why I go to work every day, because it means as much to me as it means to them."

The Finkbeiner administration and Frederick's department have been in the news a lot lately, grabbing national and international headlines in June after she ticketed several vehicles parked on homeowners property along Holland-Sylvania.

"Sure its got some garbage laying around, but hey, everybody ain't rich," said Ken Bushroe, a concerned citizen.

Singling out of this property doesn't seem to be going over very well either.

"I don't think its a nuisance property. I think it's a functional property," Bushroe said. "I think it's a bunch of bull."

Despite the negative publicity, Mr. Finkbeiner said calls into the city to report nuisance properties have been on a steady increase over the past three weeks.