On a recent post about Rueben Blackwell and the condition of Happy Hill, a reader left a comment that spoke directly to what many in Rocky Mount have quietly hoped for:
“We need City Management to assemble a group of smart, hard working, caring, professional staff members who will look at every neighborhood in the city and aggressively enforce the building codes that are already on the books.”
And…to this group, add a member of every Neighborhood Association.
This is a call to action. A practical suggestion that doesn’t ask for more money or new laws. It asks for focus, coordination, and the will to act.
I would name the group: Neighborhood Code Enforcement Task Force, a group assembled for a specific job, with a clear mission, and the authority to act. It would be initiated by the City Manager and staffed by professionals who already work for us; the people we pay to keep Rocky Mount safe, clean, and cared for.
Other cities have shown us the way. They did not wait for perfect plans or outside grants. They assembled internal teams and got to work. Here are a few examples that Rocky Mount should take seriously:
Baltimore, Maryland
Their “Vacants to Value” program created a multi-agency task force focused on abandoned homes. Within the first few years, more than 1,500 homes were rehabbed or demolished. Code enforcement became a launchpad for renewal.
Greensboro, North Carolina
Closer to home, Greensboro mapped substandard housing, enforced existing codes, and coordinated with other departments. The result was increased safety, reduced repeat violations, and restored neighborhoods.
San Antonio, Texas
They created a “Dangerous Premises Task Force” made up of police, fire, and code officials. They targeted the worst offenders and moved quickly. Neighborhoods saw visible change and property values rose.
These examples prove that when a city brings its professionals together around a common mission, things happen. Codes get enforced. Blight gets cleared. Hope returns.
We have what we need: a City Manager, professional staff and the codes already written.
All that is missing is the decision to act. A Special Task Force on Neighborhood Code Enforcement could be formed this month. Let it begin with Happy Hill.
Sometimes change begins not with a grant, a groundbreaking, or a big speech, but with one person writing a sentence that rings true, a blog comment that is more than a suggestion.
It gives us a way forward. We are not helpless. We are not hopeless. This is Rocky Mount. We can do this, and we should.
Main Street Rocky Mount 
Maybe a look at who is profiting from these substandard houses. Could it be some of the same people pretending to represent the occupants?
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Yes, and also the same two guys that will profit from a huge grant the city just received to revitalize the old hospital one of them currently owns. After the revitalization it will only be a matter of time before you see that notorious OIC purchasing said property from the owner who also plays a roll on the OIC management team. This city does not stand a beggar Mans chance as long as these two self-serving individuals continue to serve on the minority majority city council. Wake up citizens of this down fallen city that has an OIC facility on every corner and one of “dem folk” running unopposed for his ward this term. That is a good way to stand up and say, “I just don’t give a damn”. Yes, citizens you have disappointed this city yet again.
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