Meeting of UNIT Officers with City Officials

The following account of the meeting with the UNIT officers and City Officials was shared with Tech Terrace/UNIT News by Cyd Seideman. Thank you Rambling write up of TT-UNIT officers meeting with City of Lubbock officials and administrators: Met w/Lee Ann Dumbald, Mike Martin, Marjorie Manning, James Mahan and me (Cyd) from TT-UNIT neighborhood – Tom Martin, Lee Ann Dumbald, Dale Holton + two members of police department (one works with Codes) and Stuart Walker of Codes Enforcement City Manager initiated meeting and asked police to give us a play by play on the events of the recent party/assault in our neighborhood as they had them recorded – we all discussed that a bit, and got to the point of the meeting, which evidently was to reassure us that they were 100% in the same corner and determined to strengthen compliance in whatever area they could Not a meeting of angry homeowners – just determined – our position is that we would not leave that meeting without a clear path to action, like we have done so many times – we have resources that we pledge to use to act on the civil side of the law – to strongly influence the actions of tenants and landlords Our stance has never been that we are mad at the city or the police – the police have exact procedures they must follow to ensure my liberty as well as that of someone whom I perceive threatening that in some manner, but we all had to agree that what we laid out early in January as a worst case scenario had occurred – and that we simply had to get our act together as citizens of Lubbock – not as just our neighborhood – this directly impacts Lubbock and the perception of Tech and the city for protection and action and most of all SUPPORT of plain old citizens We agreed that we should stay out of the criminal side – leave that to them – but they were made known that we would be immediately and directly involved with re-writing the codes that we thought could better protect our personal safety and enjoyment of our neighborhoods – which are the R-1 residential zoning codes that are in place but not easily enforced, support for the police when they do enforce, and most of all, a commitment that I will put my faith in that ENFORCEMENT at the judicial level will take place – these cases will NOT be dismissed because they are not easily tried or someone pleads out. Mr. Medina promised that and I believe him. And since I intend to be personally involved in this, I will be able to prove it! The unfortunate realization of all of this is that we don’t live in the same world anymore where you can go out and calm or intimidate a group of drunk students into behaving - they seem like your kids, but nowadays they have not be reared in the same manner – sounds like the old lady talk stuff, but I have three sons who would never dream of cursing at a neighbor even when they were drunk – but that is no longer true. We can’t be nice any more – we have to know that we must take care of such matters civilly – and be ready to do it through knowledge of the system – lease wording, R-1 zoning definition knowledge and communication to new homeowners, willingness to finance legal counsel to help in notification to homeowners and their tenants when codes are broken from parking to blocking sidewalks to disruptive parties, instituting a kind of neighborhood watch for when new back apartments are being built without permits – just awareness of what remedies there are Judicial enforcement was the greatest tool we took from today’s meeting – police will often not ticket when they know the case will just be thrown out – that won’t happen anymore – there will be more meat in the codes that could have helped mediate this before it ever happened – and the feeling of how appalling this incident was from normal citizens who are our mayor, and administrative leaders was good to see – the awareness from them that we have to be finished with talking – they and we are ready to act Living in Tech Terrace–UNIT should be a privilege and honor – not just fun.