City of Rochester
News Release
(Friday, Aug. 19, 2016) – Rochester’s Nuisance Abatement Point System continues to provide an innovative and effective enforcement mechanism to strengthen neighborhoods and generate investment but could be improved through better implementation, a report commissioned by Mayor Lovely A. Warren has found.
“The Nuisance Abatement Point System is a powerful tool in our efforts to create more jobs, safer, more vibrant neighborhoods and better educational opportunities in our schools,” said Mayor Warren. “I am grateful to the authors of this report for giving us such a thorough and comprehensive document that validates the significance of this tool and a path forward to make it even stronger. I recognize that the point system has become a source of community concern over the years, so I am looking forward to working with City Council, our community stakeholders and all of Rochester’s citizens as we move forward to address those concerns and create a more effective point system.”
The Nuisance Abatement Point System Evaluation, conducted by Strategic Community Intervention LLC of Rochester, studied the City’s implementation of the so-called “nuisance point system” and surveyed community stakeholders to assess the perception of its effectiveness.
“Generally, stakeholders believe the system is ineffective and in need of major changes, but they also believe that it should not be abolished,” the report found. “ ‘Mend it, not end it’ was the prevailing attitude.”
The evaluation includes nine recommendations to improve the system, beginning with the appointment of a single administrator to oversee its management. The report found that assignment of nuisance points appears to be inconsistent among the four quadrant-based Neighborhood Service Centers.
The report also notes that the Nuisance Point Advisory Boards in the City’s Southwest Quadrant “have proven to be very successful” and should be expanded citywide. These boards consist of property-owner peers who understand the specific challenges involved with managing different types of business, such as nightclubs and rental properties, and help determine if points were assigned fairly.
Other recommendations include: Provide in-depth training on the point system to City staff; develop a better database to document nuisance points and share the information among Departments; improve and align the point system with other methods of code enforcement and citations; and provide an equal emphasis on quality-of-life issues and criminal-code violations.
Mayor Warren is also committed to using the findings from the report to work with community stakeholders – including homeowners, landlords and business owners – so they can help improve the nuisance point system. A schedule and format for that engagement process is being developed and will be released shortly.
To view the report, visit www.cityofrochester.gov/nuisancepointsystem/.
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News Media: For more information, contact Press Officer Jessica Alaimo at 428-7135.