The Coshocton County Beacon September 19, 2018 - Page 5

www.coshoctonbeacontoday.com
SEPTEMBER 19, 2018
THE BEACON 5
Vacant properties ordinance to be enforced starting Nov. 1
Wellness has many dimensions
Emily Buxton Marrison | Contributed
COSHOCTON - As a child I can remember thinking how nice
it would be when I graduated from school, because then all
the tests would be over. No more studying, no more stress!
But it is all too obvious now that life continues to bring
tests to us, and often when we least expect it.
Th e National Institute of Health (NIH) off ers some excel-
lent wellness resources including an “Emotional Wellness
Checklist.” You may have seen in your own life that how
you react to experiences and feelings has changed through-
out your life. According to the NIH, “Emotional wellness is
the ability to successfully handle life’s stresses and adapt to
change and diffi cult times.” Even those times in life fi lled
with good and positive change can still bring stress.
Th e NIH suggests that there are six strategies for improv-
ing our emotional health.
Brighten Your Outlook
Th is is the quality of resilience, the ability to bounce
back from diffi culties. I don’t know many people who
enjoy failure or trials, but keeping it all in perspective can
bring peace to otherwise rocky times. We are more than
physical beings. Explore your beliefs about the deeper
issues of life’s purpose and meaning.
Reduce Stress
We associate stress with negative events, but the good
things in life can bring stress to our days as well. Th e neg-
ative consequences on our physical health start showing
up when we have chronic stress, or a state of high alert that
lasts for a long time. A great way to manage stress is to exer-
cise regularly and also follow these next two suggestions.
Get Quality Sleep
I hate admitting it, but when there is a lot on my plate,
the fi rst sacrifi ce I am most likely to make is sleep. Even
though I know how important it is! Squeezing in just one
more chore or checking another task off my list before
I head to bed rarely pays off in the long run. For some
people it’s not the amount of sleep but the quality of sleep
that they struggle with. Th e National Sleep Foundation
recommends shutting down electronic devices at least
30 minutes before bed. Th e blue light emitted from TVs,
smart phones, and tablets delays our circadian rhythm
making it more diffi cult to fall asleep.
Be Mindful
Some people will say that “gobbledygook meditation
stuff ” is just not for them. But the foundation of mindful-
ness is being present in the moment- actual awareness of
all that’s going on around you. It sounds simple enough,
but I know many mature adults who can’t go 3 minutes
without looking at their phone or distracting themselves
in some other way rather than making eye contact and
listening to the person in front of them. Take a walk and
enjoy nature. Breathe deeply.
Cope with Loss
Not everyone has experienced a signifi cant loss in their
life, but as we get older, eventually someone we love dearly
will die. Th e world has lots of suggestions to deal with grief.
Th is is one place where I do disagree with the NIH sugges-
tions. Th is material says that there is no right or wrong way
to mourn. I disagree, because I think that there are lots of
destructive ways to mourn that hurt others and prevent
ourselves from moving on with life. Joining a grief support
group or reaching out to a pastor can be instrumental in
helping with healthy grief.
Strengthen Social Connections
As human beings, we were created to be social. True
connections with family, friends, neighbors and others
infl uence our health. It can be overwhelming to think
about all the relationships that we want to improve. Start
by trying just one new thing to get connected with people
in a diff erent way. If you are a caregiver, ask for help from
others. Or volunteer for things here in our community that
you care about. Or go to one of the great programs off ered
by the library or museum or other clubs and organiza-
tions.
All in all, remember that health is more than diet and
physical fi tness. Here’s hoping you have a whole and hap-
py day today!
Editor’s note: Emily Buxton Marrison is the Extension
Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences at Th e Ohio State
University Extension offi ce in Coshocton.
will help us have funds to deal with those situations too.”
Vacant properties may be inspected both externally and
internally by the property code department at the start of
each registration period and when the registration is ter-
minated by the property owner or person in control. If the
property owner or person in control does not agree to the
inspection, a search warrant may be obtained to inspect
the property as required by the ordinance. Inspections
will be done by Corder who will be assisted a t times by a
retired building offi cial who is an engineer.
“He will be able to help out with deciding if buildings are
structurally sound,” Corder said. “Th at could give us more
leverage to sue and have a building brought down.”
He also emphasized that they are not trying to penalize
those who take care of their properties.
“It’s about the properties that no one maintains,” Corder
said. “Th ere are landlords out there who have beautiful
homes and then there are ones who are letting their prop-
erties go downhill.”
A database of vacant properties in the community is
being built and Corder encourages residents to contact
him if they know of one. He can be reached at jeff .corder@
cityofcoshocton.com or by phone at 740-202-0060.
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COSHOCTON – On Nov. 1 the city will begin enforcement
of Chapter 1355 of the Codifi ed Ordinances of the City of
Coshocton that Coshocton City Council passed on June 6 to
help deal with vacant residential and commercial properties.
Th e purpose of this legislation is to establish a program
for identifying and registering vacant residential and
commercial buildings; to determine the responsibility of
owners and/or persons of control of vacant buildings and
structures; and to speed the rehabilitation of the vacant
buildings. Shifting the cost of the burden from the gener-
al citizenry to the owners of vacant buildings will be the
result of this chapter.
Th e ordinance requires the owner or person in control to
register with the property code department not later than
90 days after any building located in an area zoned for, or
abutting an area zoned for residential or commercial use
in the city becomes a vacant building, and not more than
30 days of being notifi ed by the property code depart-
ment of the requirements to register based on evidence of
vacancy, whichever event fi rst occurs. Owners who fail to
register at the prescribed time will be considered delin-
quent. Th e owner or person in control must submit a plan
for the vacant building when registering.
“If vacant buildings are in blighted condition you are
subject to a fee,” said Jeff Corder, property code investiga-
tor for the city. “Vacant buildings that are in good shape
can get exemptions if they are actively trying to rent or sale
the building. Th ese will be considered on an instance to
instance base.”
Th e fee schedule (including how it will increase each
year a building is vacant) and list of possible exemptions
can be found online at www.cityofcoshocton.com. A com-
plete copy of the legislation is under the council section
of the city’s website and the instruction sheet for fi lling
out the application can be found in the download section
of the website. Th e ordinance also defi nes: Evidence of
vacancy, person in control, secured by other than normal
means, temporarily vacant, unoccupied, unsecured, and
vacant building.
“Fees will be held in a fund for the building department,”
Corder said. “If you don’t fi x up your property we can use
that money to fi x it up or tear it down. A lot of times too
properties are bought at tax sales and people never do
anything with them and then get behind on the taxes. Th is
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