HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-05-2016 Item 7, Ayral (2)To:
Subject:
Maier, John Paul
RE: Council Meeting, April 5th
COUNCIL MEETING:
ITEM NO.: 7
APR 0 6 2016
AC — Item 7
From: On Behalf Of Odile Ayral
Sent: Wednesday, April 06, 2016 12:38 PM
To: E-mail Council Website
Subject: Council Meeting, April 5th
Dear Mayor Marx and Council Members;
Thank you for bringing empathy back into the Walker case last night, and especially thank you to Dan Carpenter. The
following are issues that troubled me:
1. I am very well aware that violations existed in the Walker house, and the family made mistakes out of ignorance, not
out of ill intentions, but the fact remains that this entire affair was trigged by a denunciation from a vindictive woman. I
don't know what she could have written considering she had never been inside the house. Doesn't your Staff screen their
complaints? Don't they first pay attention to their origin? I am therefore putting in writing what I asked last night. In the
case of housing, only conlaints fcorn former renters, and complaints from neighbors ought to be taken seriously. All the
others should be thrown into the trash.
You will say: "well, they found violations, didn't they?" True, but that's not the point. The point is that this nightmare for
the Walkers was initiated on the wrong premises: a woman who wanted revenge for whatever slight she imagined. And
your Staff played into her hands. There ought to be provisions to protect the public at large from this type of abuse, and
when it comes to housing, I believe that the two points I made above are the correct ones.
2. Trust is like Humpty Dumpty. Once it's broken, it's broken. You cannot reestablish trust by forcing a family to open
their home to the very person they think is determined to destroy them. It would be much better to let the family decide
which inspector they want to welcome into their home. The only thing that is reassuring in this case is its visibility, and
the fact that the Walkers can return to Council if they are bullied. But I think you made a mistake when you imposed Ms.
Schneider.
3. Interruptions. Please, John Ashbaugh, don't interrupt constantly, it made it very difficult to follow the
proceedings. Worse, it harmed the Walkers because Mayor Marx was trying to make a very important point: that the
Walkers would be made responsible only for what they did since 2009. My heart sank when she let it slide because of
interruptions. Again, the Walkers can return to Council, so it's not as serious as it could have been, but they may be
represented as uncooperative (as you did last night) instead of simply standing up for their rights.
4. I spent several sleepless nights because of this case, so I can imagine the toll it has taken on the Walkers. I once had
lunch with a lively Kathie, but last night, I saw a sick woman who could barely stand on her feet. The consequences on
her autoimmune disease must be catastrophic. Please, tread softly. Thank you.
Odile Ayral