The Cigarette Receptacle/Smokers Station/Butt Can at the northeast corner (Mansion side) of the parking structure has now taken on the same appearance of it's predecessors!

This photo is the Cigarette Receptacle/Smokers Station/Butt Can located behind Oaklawn's ER on Prospect St and is a significant improvement over the lack of maintenance, by Oaklawn, at their smoking areas around the parking structure. So much so, that the city of Holland could use this photo, with the tulips in the background, as a publicity piece!!! There is no excuse for not maintaining both areas around the parking structure, Mansion St and High St, at this same level.

This will be passed on to the maintenance department at the hospital.

I have been watching this and it has been intact each time lately. The hospital knows that it has a problem with people removing the tops of these and taking out leftover cigarettes and smoking them so they have replaced the stands with lockable ones in an effort to stop this practice. TT

Tim, Apparently you have not proceeded far enough up the chain of command at Oaklawn. I happened by the east side of the parking structure less than two (2) hours after you closed this out. Yes, that is a current photo, yes, the lid is off and yes, it is still disgusting! The only Cigarette Receptacle/Smokers Station/Butt Cans that have locks on them are at the rear of Oaklawn on Prospect Street. Otherwise the lid on the one located on the east side of the parking structure wouldn't be off already. Lets leave this OPEN until this situation improves, it is quite evident that so far, it has not!!! I would think that you would have to agree?

Close-up...

Cigarette butts and wrappers in the beds all around these areas!

Mr. MTP - We appreciate your notification of the issue with the cigarettes at the parking structure. We have talked with Oaklawn on several occasions and they are aware of the issue. There is not a Code Enforcement Issue here for the city to follow through with, we will continue to follow-up with Oaklawn to determine who might be removing these lids overnight. It is not feasible for the city or hospital to monitor these on a full time basis.

We will be permanently closing this issue as we understand it will be on-going. If you disagree with this decision please feel free to contact me, Kristin Bauer - Director of Public Services, at 269-558-0323 or by e-mail kbauer@cityofmarshall.com

Kristin,
Although I disagree with your decision to permanently close this issue, as a moderator you have the power to do so and it is your choice. You state having made contact with Oaklawn Hospital on several occasions and they are aware of the issue, however they haven't done anything. It has not been resolved! All Oaklawn Hospital would have to do as a remedy, is to provide Cigarette Receptacle/Smokers Station/Butt Cans THAT LOCK! They have them on their premises and keep the area around the ER picked up and free of debris, so its as simple as that! Relocate a couple of the lockable Cigarette Receptacle/Smokers Station/Butt Cans to the parking structure locations! SIMPLE, DONE, FINISHED!!! If they are requiring that visitors and employees use public property for smoking, then in my opinion, they should be responsible for maintaining those areas. I was hoping that this would be taken care of without making it an issue involving additional public input and exposure . However, that doesn't appear to be the case. Now the solution will obviously take notification and a presentation to the City Council, letters to the editor and if needed, a call to News Channel 3. I really don't have the extra free time to take this further. Oh Wait!!! Just checked, and good news, I do!

Kristin,
P.S. Also of note, when passing by that area in the evening, it is usually hospital employees sitting there in their hospital attire, taking a smoke break. So is it actually hospital employees removing those lids in the darkness of night? Could very well be? Time for surveillance cameras?
Maybe contact with the new Public Relations person could get this eyesore resolved, because relying on the maintenance department hasn't proven to be helpful.

But then, now that the weather is great, who doesn't enjoy the fountain?

Kristin,
Seeing that photo of beautiful Brooks Fountain brought out another thought. Lets take a look at this ongoing problem from a little different perspective. What if, in this scenario and using Brooks Fountain, what if Brooks Fountain was located across from Oaklawn Hospital, instead of the parking structure? What if there were five(5) or six(6) of those Cigarette Receptacle/Smokers Station/Butt Cans scattered around the beautiful Brooks Fountain landscape? What if Oaklawn Hospital required all smokers (visitors and employees) to leave their property(as they do now)and they smoked off campus, but now at Brooks Fountain? What if those Cigarette Receptacle/Smokers Station/Butt Cans had their lids removed on a regular basis at the Brooks Fountain location? Would you still not feel that there might be a Code Enforcement Issue here for the city to follow through with? Would it still not be feasible for the city or hospital to monitor these on a full time basis? Would you be permanently closing this issue as you understand it will be on-going and yet not remedied?
Quite honestly, I would bet a bundle of money (and I don't gamble) that the city would find a way to stop this, and fast! This issue would not have dragged on for months, as this has, if beautiful Brooks Fountain was substituted in place of that parking structure! Substitute any other city owned property or building, City Hall, PSB, Carver Park, Ketchum Park, Marshall House, Stuart's Landing, the Athletic Fields into this same scenario, and it would never take months to end it!
I BETCHA!!!

Lock It and Stop It! So simple, a caveman could do it.

Photo taken: Tuesday, 05/25/2016 @ 1:17 PM

Lock It and Stop It! So simple, a caveman could do it.

Photo taken: Tuesday, 05/25/2016 @ 1:17 PM

A whole month has passed and no change or improvement. Oh, correction, the lid has moved farther left! This photo taken May 27, 2016 @ 2:45 PM.
Thank you Oaklawn Hospital!!!

Lock It and Stop It!!! So simple, a caveman could do it.

Kristin,
Leave this issue open so that I can forward it to someone at Oaklawn Hospital, other than the maintenance department, who is in a position to get something done! The Oaklawn Marketing, Development and Public Relations Department?
This photo taken May 28, 2016 @ 7:18 PM.

Lock It and Stop It!!! So simple, a caveman could do it.

This photo taken May 28, 2016 @ 7:18 PM.
Lock It and Stop It!!! So simple, a caveman could do it.

Closed by Dir. Of Public Services

This issue appears to have been closed by the Director of Public Services.
However, the truth of the matter is that this issue was NEVER resolved and continues to be unresolved!

Lock It and Stop It!!! So simple, a caveman could do it.

Closing issues and archiving problems is not an effective problem solving technique.

OMG, it now appears that someone has used this unsecured and uncovered Cigarette Receptacle/Smokers Station/Butt Can, that is located next to the parking structure, for a different kind of butt! Guess it was only a matter of time? Well, maybe now that there is a new collaborative partnership between Borgess Health and Oaklawn Hospital, Borgess will provide Oaklawn with some needed guidance and offer to supply Oaklawn with a couple of new and lockable Cigarette Receptacle/Smokers Station/Butt Cans?
No chance of ever seeing anything like this at any of the Borgess sites!

Lock It and Stop It!!! So simple, a caveman could do it.

This whole episode is absolutely ridiculous and disappointing too! Given a two month (8 week) period, Oaklawn could not find a way to put a couple of new lockable Cigarette Receptacle/Smokers Station/Butt Cans, mostly used by their employees, at the parking structure. And yet, they have them readily available at the rear of their facility on Prospect Street. To the head of maintenance at Oaklawn, whoever you are, you are not performing your job at an acceptable level, as you have failed miserably when it comes to this issue. This is such an easy fix, and yet you couldn't or stubbornly wouldn't do it. Shame on you!

Just Lock It and Stop It!!! So simple, a caveman could do it.
But not Oaklawn Hospital maintenence.

This whole episode is absolutely ridiculous and disappointing too! Given a two month (8 week) period, Oaklawn could not find a way to put a couple of new lockable Cigarette Receptacle/Smokers Station/Butt Cans, mostly used by their employees, at the parking structure. And yet, they have them readily available at the rear of their facility on Prospect Street. To the head of maintenance at Oaklawn, you are not performing your job at an acceptable level, as you have failed miserably when it comes to this issue. This is such an easy fix, and yet you couldn't or stubbornly wouldn't do it. Shame on you!

Just Lock It and Stop It!!! So simple, a caveman could do it.

Obliviously, some involved in this issue, have yet to obtain the intellectual level of our Neanderthal ancestors.

THE PROOF IS (or not) IN THE PUDDING?

CLOSED Code Enforcement (Verified Official)
Covers have been replaced. Hospital maintenance has been contacted and advised of the issue. They will keep a closer eye on the situation as it seems to be an ongoing thing that people remove the covers.
2016-04-18

CLOSED Code Enforcement (Verified Official)
Clearly after Tim replaced the tops on those two on the North side of the parking ramp on Monday somebody removed them again. I spoke with the head of maintenance at the hospital this morning and his maintenance workers have seen people remove the tops then remove cigarette butts and actually smoke them. They have been replacing these with lockable stands and he will have his guys change these as soon as they get a chance.
2016-04-20

ACKNOWLEDGED Code Enforcement (Verified Official)
This will be passed on to the maintenance department at the hospital.
2016-05-09

CLOSED Code Enforcement (Verified Official)
I have been watching this and it has been intact each time lately. The hospital knows that it has a problem with people removing the tops of these and taking out leftover cigarettes and smoking them so they have replaced the stands with lockable ones in an effort to stop this practice. TT
2016-05-20

REOPENED MTP (Registered User)

Tim, Apparently you have not proceeded far enough up the chain of command at Oaklawn. I happened by the east side of the parking structure less than two (2) hours after you closed this out. Yes, that is a current photo, yes, the lid is off and yes, it is still disgusting! The only Cigarette Receptacle/Smokers Station/Butt Cans that have locks on them are at the rear of Oaklawn on Prospect Street. Otherwise the lid on the one located on the east side of the parking structure wouldn't be off already. Lets leave this OPEN until this situation improves, it is quite evident that so far, it has not!!! I would think that you would have to agree?
2016-05-20

In the April 20th post, it states that the head of maintenance had been contacted and he would have his guys replace them with LOCKABLE Cigarette Receptacle/Smokers Station/Butt Cans.

Then in the May 20th post, it states that they have replaced the stands with lockable ones.

This has not and did not happen! Photo is current.

John 8:32

Just Lock It and Stop It!!! So simple, a caveman could do it.

Thank you moderator.

NEXT!!!

This is not covered by city ordinance, it is a Hospital issue, they have been notified