BUILDING DEMOLITION

The City's demolition program was instituted in 1954 as a self-sustaining effort. The City only takes action when a dangerous building is brought to its attention through a complaint. By ordinance, it cannot seek out the problem.

Two departments administer the City's program: the Health Department may determine whether a building is fit for human habitation, the Public Works Department whether it is dangerous to work or live in. The overall problem lacks planning, and is also hampered by budget restrictions.

The Model Cities building demolition program will be administered by the Public Works Department, which will identify and demolish 200 dangerous buildings in the MN.

A parallel program providing for Housing Code Inspectors is described under the Housing section

TRASH DEMONSTRATION

Kansas City's ordinance banning open trash burning was a response to a concern about air pollution. Yet the City has not been able to combine trash collection with its longstanding garbage collection program.

Although an average family throws out 540 pounds of trash and garbage a year, 71 per cent of MN residents have their trash collected only once a month.

The lack of a frequent trash collection adds its impact to other MN problems: deterioration of public property; littering of streets; alleys; and vacant property; unsanitary conditions; and

difficulty of controlling pests and rodents; and tuberculosis.

A positive, self-supporting program of combined trash and garbage disposal will be developed for Area 2C. Several methods of collection, at varied time intervals, will be measured to fined the most effective and satisfactory method of collecting trash. The results will be applied to other areas of Kansas City, including the MN. Model Neighborhood residents will be recruited for work crews. The operating agency is the Public Works Department.