1. Title: Amending Health Ordinances for Exterior Property Maintenance
Name: Ta’tyana Manning
Preceptors: Project Supervisor: Jacqueline Foushee, P.E.,C.M.E
Director, Department of Community Development
Agency: City of Rahway,Department of Health
Purpose: To assessand amend Rahway municipal ordinances that are used, along with State Statutes,as
a guideline for appropriate exterior property maintenance to improve public health within the community.
Significance: Every year, the number of occupied, vacant, and abandoned properties fluctuates. Many
cities establish ordinances to create a certain criteria for residents to abide by in order to maintain their
property. Today, vacant and abandoned properties are more than just a symptom of larger economic
forces at work in the community. They are associated with crime, increased risk to health and welfare,
plunging property values, and escalating municipal costs make them problems in and of themselves.
These issues also contribute to the overall community decline and disinvestment. With these ordinances,
the City of Rahway hopes to diminish any conundrums regarding exterior property maintenance that may
obstruct residents’ quality of life, create public health problems, or may be detrimental to the overall
appearance of the community. Our goal is not only directed towards current residents, but also potential
residents, business owners and individuals who may pass through town or visit whether infrequently or
regularly.
Method/Approach: The City of Rahway has established ordinances in correspondence to N.J.S.A. (New
Jersey Statutes Annotated) in order to implement laws that ensure cooperation and appropriate actions
necessary for property maintenance. In regards to properties in Rahway,the City’s Health Department has
staffed three health inspectors one for each type of property; occupied, vacant, and abandoned. Together
these health inspectors will regularly explore the community and document any unkempt properties or
properties that meet violations.
Results: By having health inspectors examine the community, the Health Department has found that there
is an inordinate amount of properties that tend to have undesirable characteristics such as: high grass,
abandoned properties that attract rodents and debris, along with other exterior deterioration due to lack of
maintenance. It is legal for an inspector to examine exterior properties, so the ordinances that have been
set in place allows them to send out warnings and issues fines. Ideally, the fines and summons will
pressure individuals to keep up with their property maintenance.
Conclusion: With approximately 28, 394 individuals residing in the City of Rahway,it becomes difficult
to monitor every property; especially those whom are unkempt, abandoned and have outstanding
violations. These policies and ordinances will continue to work as a guideline for the municipality and
residents to abide by with hopes of diminishing the number of unkempt properties and keep violations to
a minimum in order to help keep the community from being exposed to detrimental health conditions.