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Clean up Parksville, for safety sake

Several city councils have totally ignored requests from homeowners concerned about neighbours who collect trash and garbage.

Several city councils have totally ignored requests from homeowners concerned about neighbours who collect trash and store tonnes of garbage in and around their homes.

Once in a while, a fire starts and solves the problem.

In the meantime, the adjoining neighbours are under the impression that somebody they voted in at city hall cares about them. Dream on folks. Everybody today has rights except the poor taxpayer who plays by the rules.

Every mayor has stated the city has no jurisdiction over non-conforming home owners or absentee landlords. Seems these people have rights we don’t have or they have mental issues.

The mayor has no clout. The fire chief has no clout. The lone bylaw officer issues warnings that are ignored for years. Current bylaws are so weak you can drive the proverbial truck through them.

In the meantime, these people who collect junk in and on their properties, park semi-trucks on their front lawns and store huge diesel motor homes on their small lots are causing their neighbours to have mental issues.

What about the guy next door to the fire hazard that burned recently at Pym and Soreil? His house could have suffered the same damage or worse. He could have been killed.

Council, stop worrying about so-called global crises’ and start fixing potholes and cutting the grass on our walkways. Start dealing with property flippers who turn their garages into illegal suites and create more garbage and water demands while not paying for these extra services. Start dealing with storage tents on single-family lots that can house full-sized blimps.

Start dealing with the issues we voted you in for.

Richard PacanowskiParksville