Opinion: Maple Hill residents should have their complaints addressed
By MARK BALLARD
Guest columnist
MARK BALLARD
Monday, Feb. 10, 2014, 11 a.m. — It has been about nine months or so since the uphill battle began in Maple Hill. A battle between local home and property owners against business owners and renters? Well, kinda, but more so between Maple Hill residents and city government, various department heads, and both red tape and indifference.
Businesses and tenants in the Maple Hill area have had several code/ordinance violations that have not been corrected for lack of enforcement action — some for years. When new homeowners moved into the area and were willing to invest money into their properties to improve them, that was a good thing for Bardstown, right? After all, the Maple Hill neighborhood makes up the western corridor for visitors from the west who come to Bardstown. Residents’ desire to improve the appearance of this corridor — and to see a return on their investment — led neighborhood leaders to ask why certain businesses and property owners in violation of local ordinances were not facing the same enforcement actions as the downtown/historic areas do.
Between the Bardstown City Council, the mayor, and code enforcement, I am not sure which is worse. I asked at the last BAND meeting why this situation has been dragged out so long and why the ordinances — which are plainly written and were violated — are not being enforced? I was told that it is up to the head of each department to decide when/if/how a code is interpreted and enforced. Do we now have a “dictator” style of enforcement in local government?
The mayor, and some of the councilmen, led the residents to believe they were doing something, while all along knowing they were going to do little or nothing. Once the residents caught on to their indifference, and began pushing for more to be done, the B.A.N.D. meetings were cancelled, rescheduled, and cancelled again, so most people thought anyway. Word was sent out it was cancelled, yet it was not cancelled. The ploy worked, however. No one from the Maple Hill neighborhood showed up to address the neighborhood problems. With the “miscommunication”, the right thing to do would be reschedule the meeting. It was not. The next B.A.N.D. meeting will be in July. I suppose, in theory, the Maple Hill residents should wait until then to bring anymore concerns to light?
Who would have thought that there would be selective favoritism in the inner workings of Bardstown government? Who would have ever thought that it goes on in “The Most Beautiful Small Town”? I’ll tell you who….anyone who has lived here for any length of time and has had their eyes open.
So, we may be The Most Beautiful Small Town in appearance but we are one of the ugliest in how we let corrupt individuals manipulate the law and show favoritism, or turn a blind eye, when it comes to enforcement. Why is it important for all of us to be concerned? Because, if you have a problem in your area of town and want it resolved would you rather call and receive the support you need or have to deal with corruption and indifference? If it can happen to the Maple Hill area it can happen in your area too.
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