Evictions creating safety hazard?

It happens everywhere, in all kinds of weather: Evictions.

Bad news for the residents, a headache for the landlord and a pain for people trying to use the sidewalk.

Especially for the physically challenged, like Bond Hill resident Brian Smith.

His wheelchair would not be able to navigate the broken furniture and trash blocking the concrete walkway at Reading Road and Berkley Avenue Friday afternoon.

"I think it's very selfish, whoever left this mess for somebody else to clean up," Smith said.

When Cincinnati City Council Member Wendell Young heard about two families' possessions dumped here, he wasn't going to walk around the problem.

"You can't treat a neighborhood like this," Young said.

Young caught a lot of heat from Jay, an employee from the apartment building.

"These guys think we are doing this deliberately," Jay protested.

He says the city should be more concerned about drug dealers down the street than some furniture on the sidewalk.

"I am not going to be distracted by what people think that I ought to be doing," Young said. "I'm here because people complain. These are people who are taxpayers."
   
Jay said he wasn't aware he shouldn't put evictees' belongings out on the curb, expecting the city to pick it up.

Young says the city should not have to pay for an issue between landlords and their tenants.

"Either be prepared to haul it away, contract with someone who will haul it away, have a place to store it out of the public view, certainly out of the public right of way," Young said.

Jay blamed the mess on scavengers picking through the stuff, and promised he would clean it up.

Young says that won't stop him from introducing a motion at council to regulate how landlords can dispose of evictees' property.