Common sense appears to have prevailed, finally, in the yearlong
controversy over the city’s code enforcement efforts. After more than a year of
special interest groups coming forward to complain about the state of other residents’
property, it appears city council has resolved to deal with the big, and
important, issues like grass and weeds and inoperable vehicles.
For the record, no one in the city really has a problem with
the city contacting residents about those problems. The city also has the means
to send someone out to cut the lawn and then charge the residents if the grass
becomes unsightly and overlooked despite notifications. The car issue is a bit
different, since some people have cars that they are working on that
technically fit the inoperable vehicle definition.
One man’s project is another man’s junk, I suppose. But in
those cases a dose of common sense would go a long way. Of course, with the hubbub
that initiated the whole review barely in the rear-view mirror, common sense
may be no more than one election away.
It’s interesting that this issue seems to have resolved
under the “new” mayoral administration. It begs the question about what was
really driving the nosy neighbor patrol in the first place.
The job of council is to keep the city on the straight and
narrow. The job, more than anything, is to set policy. The job isn’t to go
around taking pictures of people’s properties and railing about grass that
exceeds the city ordinance or trash bins that aren’t moved off the street after
trash day. Or maybe I am wrong?
Perhaps it’s the cost that made the difference. With all the
problems the city has, with the extra deputies needed at the courthouse, with
the delays on The Boulevard that have become more of the story than the work
itself, to the changes on the I-95 off/on ramp at Temple Ave, and, alas, the
Kroger fiasco, I think the city has enough to worry about.
Getting caught up in scrutinizing the citizenry and how they
choose to live is above and beyond. Next thing you know, they would have their
selected individuals wearing placards with the letter M for messy. Gee, do you have
nothing more to do with your life?
On the council’s behalf, they have directed the staff to “exercise
good and fair judgment relating to code enforcement rules and requirements.” Common
sense one would think.
At the same time, council has also dropped the Rental
Inspection Program. Citing appropriate cost of available resources (personnel
and budget) council supports the indefinite suspension of the city’s rental
inspection program.
So what has changed that would have caused council to turn
away from these program? Beats me. But the city has gone so far to offer more
details on their “re-focused approach to code enforcement and our plans for
operational implementation of these enhancements.”
City Manager Tom Mattis said he thought this was a good
compromise on code enforcement. Still, it isn’t the end of the story. There is
still a strong faction in the city that would like to impose stricter enforcement,
and would be more than happy to assist by providing photographic evidence. So,
while there may be a pause, this isn’t necessarily the end of the story.
