This is a meeting where most everyone in this city should be interested as we all are affected. We get annoyed when that neighbor leaves his trash bins in front of his house instead of moving them out of sight...the guy who just has to park his car on his front lawn or that boat on a trailer. The Community Code Compliance Division ensures that properties within the City of Lake Worth adhere to the City’s regulations relating to:
- Zoning enforcement
- Illegal objects on the right-of-ways (signs, pyramids, rocks, logs, etc.)
- Overgrown vacant lots
- Junk and trash
- Livestock and/or fowl (roosters, chickens) on residential/commercial property
- Illegally parked or stored commercial vehicles on residential property
- Improperly stored boats and recreational vehicles on residential property
- Major auto repairs on residential property
- Improper swimming pool barriers
- Unauthorized multi-family use in residential districts
- Setback violations - sheds and other structures too close to the property line
- Illegal flags, banners, streamers and signs
- Illegal fences and hedges
- Abandoned and/or junk vehicles on commercial/residential property,br> Unauthorized business in residential districts
- Unlicensed Rental properties
- No Certificate of Occupancy/Use
- Building without a permit
- Unauthorized garage sales
- Overflowing commercial dumpsters
At the moment there is a suggestion from a reliable source that the code department is using selective enforcement and targeting a specific area without any formal code complaints. Perhaps tomorrow night we will be able to learn more about that.
11 comments:
Just about any place in this city is a dump. People have no pride in where they live.
Targeting a section one a regular basis is a good idea. I don't like the idea that when a resident who doesn't normally call in code complaints wants to remain anonymous, very often the code inspector will identify the complainer. If the violator is causing a problem and being inconsiderate of his/her neighbor, it shouldn't matter who made the call.
Unfortunately, some complaints have been political. I think people should stand behind their complaint with their name and address. If they don't, then complaints can be nothing more than just 'sticking it to' someone they don't like with no basis for the support. Our department could be running around all day long following up on something that is not even legitimate.
Code is worse than useless in this town. A structure by Maxwell that didn't even have a roof stood for years. Code only seems to want to operate 9 to 5. MOST of our code problems happen when the people are home from work parking in their front lawns and on weekends,when they are selling mattresses and Watermelons out of trucks in their front yards.
Code is 90% used as a vendetta squad by Mayor Pam Triolo, Commissioner Scott Maxwell and Commissioner Andy Amoroso. For example,Amoroso embarrassed Lake Worth on an international level when he tried to secretly film a church service and shut a church down.
Code is a way to steal property that the city wants. Fining someone for putting out palm fronds 24 hrs too early in college park while the whole south end has rats,mountains of garbage and open crack houses/Prostitution dens is beyond explanation.
I guess the three Commission amigos are so busy under the table that they cant see what is happening in front of the table.
I agree, Lynn. I've noticed that code enforcement and others in this town will capitulate to the person with the biggest mouth even when the person they're complaining about has a logical explanation for his/her actions and is remedying the situation and/ or is not actually doing anything wrong. Why are so many in this town so absolutely miserable??
I concur with the College Park comment. I used to be friendly with someone who drive around College Park and Eden Place just waiting for someone she doesn't like to anything that could be twisted into a violation or something. Even when a good code officer figured it out, he still went along with her. I guess he has to! Needless to say I will no longer have anything to do with this vicious person. I just don't get it.?
Code should be systematic in its enforcement. At present it seems all over the place, more worried about easy fines, gotta close those cases to get your numbers up, vs. serious health and safety problems.
If I were in charge, I would have code focusing on serious problem properties, the tough ones, not the easy grass length crap. Focus on properties where criminals are using it, where rats congregate, or serious overcrowding problems. If code would spend six months focus on serious stuff, they would make progress. Instead they are so focused on closing cases they just do not care.
Anon@ 11:46 good post!
Did the obtuse blogger post something about a "reliable source"? If the obtuse blogger had a "reliable source" her blog would be 99% b.s.
Sorry, Wes. At least I have sources. :)
Let me give you an example: Not too long ago, someone bought a property on Dixie Hwy and thought they could just dump some crushed asphalt to create a parking lot. Obviously code cited them immediately and the clock started with a notice of violation and notice to correct or appear in front of the magistrate.
Four of five months go by and finally we find out that the owner will have the crushed asphalt removed and have the lot re-sodded. Great.
When the contractor comes to remove the crushed asphalt, he pushes a pile of debris and big chunks of concrete onto the adjacent lot. I called code to make sure they know about the pile and chunks and to NOT comply the case until they are removed.
A week goes by and when I call to follow up, I'm told the case complied. Then I spend at least an hour arguing with staff about how the case should not have been complied. I am told that they must now cite the owner of the adjacent property and start the clock to have HIM remove the pile and chunks of concrete the original violator pushed onto his neighbor's property. I was finally able to convince code to make a call to the original violator who didn't know the contractor did that, and he had the remaining debris removed from his neighbor's property.
I couldn't believe I had to argue with our own code department about such a common sense issue. But staff insisted that a new violation had to be started.
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