Code Cites Kids Garden for Bolted Head of Lettuce

[sheclown]

Sticks and stones may break our bones but yellow stickers will never stop us

[strider]

If it is for trash or high grass, they will and can just do it for you and bill you and lien the property.  As they can not easily use NSP funding (they got $400K of it) for demolition anymore, all they have for this zip code is land clearance and grass cutting to use it on.  This is a shot gun approach to try to get enough people not doing it themselves to send the subs they have promised work to out to do it.

The other side is blowback from PSOS and others attacking code over improper use of funds, not following the laws themselves and making noise about Ms Scott being promoted.

Of course, it also could be simply MCC stroking their own egos as they seem to like to do that. "Look at me, look how much power I have over you" type thing.  Just what a city wants it's public employees doing to it's tax payers.  OK, maybe Jacksonville wants that...

[JaxUnicorn]

Amanda, can you please either post the addresses that correspond with each photo, or send them to me via email?  Some of the notices reference back yards - I want to know whether those areas are visible from the roadway. 

I agree with Strider in that I think this is retaliation for PSOS' vocal opposition to Kim Scott's promotion and Code Enforcement practices.

Kim

[iloveionia]

Dad texted me all day about the activity on Ionia.
Code got into a confrontation with a neighbor across the street.
Cited for an unregistered car in the back yard that he could "see from the street."
Dude lost it Dad said. I understand why.
I've had to have dad circle for the last two days and check all the properties.
Occupied homes were tagged as equally as vacant homes, probably more so.
Dad sat on the porch most of the day.
Protecting from trespassers.

Just was informed (got a letter in the mail) that I have to remove or replace a chain link fence at one of the houses. A fence that is decades old mind you.

[Debbie Thompson]

They are grandfathered in. No you don't.

[edjax]

I guess Kim Scott reads MJ and not too happy.  Of course she deserves all of the negativity. 

[strider]

Dad texted me all day about the activity on Ionia.
Code got into a confrontation with a neighbor across the street.
Cited for an unregistered car in the back yard that he could "see from the street."
Dude lost it Dad said. I understand why.
I've had to have dad circle for the last two days and check all the properties.
Occupied homes were tagged as equally as vacant homes, probably more so.
Dad sat on the porch most of the day.
Protecting from trespassers.

Just was informed (got a letter in the mail) that I have to remove or replace a chain link fence at one of the houses. A fence that is decades old mind you.

Who sent that letter?  MCC or the Historic Department? To be honest, they can't truly enforce ANYONE  from having a chain link fence let alone force a home owner to change one out.

And yes, most likely Ms Scott showing us what she is really made of. 

[iloveionia]

Letter from Kennelly.

[JaxUnicorn]

Letter from Kennelly.

Nope, they can't make you remove it.  You can show it's been there for years and like others have said, the fence is grandfathered in.  I reckon if this is part of the Operation Urban Blight program, I can expect to receive similar letters for my two houses with chainlink fences.  Heck, if I removed the fences, what would Code Enforcement tape their yellow placards to?

[peestandingup]

What is the ultimate goal for the Code people?

To help sustain their own need for existence by writing frivolous fines??

[twojacks]

Heavens forbid some of the people who live here get "told" they need to tighten up their properties.  New Springfielders got them too.  Trust me, for every one head of bolted lettuce, there were 10 weeds growing on stairs, trash accumulating, paint peeling.  I applaud the efforts.  A certified letter is sent to the property owner and a 15 day period to correct the problem or risk getting fined starts.  15 days is  over 2 weeks.  Plenty of time to pull that lettuce, paint that railing, pick up that garbage.  It has made a no ticable difference in the area I live.  BTW, I got one, too.

[IrvAdams]

^^Do you get them often, or do they do occasional 'sweeps' for various areas/blocks?

I think the consternation here is with the volume and rapidity of this rather intense canvassing of a target area and the detail level of the 'infractions'. When you look this closely, couldn't essentially any property anywhere be tagged at the sole discretion of the code employee?

It seems rather like fulfilling a whim than a real noticeable nuisance or violation.

[avs]

Really twojacks?  Seriously???  You applaud harassment??? You "live" here???  Seriously???

In addition to harassing a KIDS Garden (which was actually just cleaned and mowed last weekend to prep for the Spring Program, which has received over $30K in grant money, so its definitely a neighborhood positive) they also tagged my lot I noticed later on - this isn't blight???   There are two garden beds on the lot, which incidentally we just had filled yesterday evening, that's all that is there!

15 days for me to "tighten" up what?  The lot is EMPTY beside two garden beds build out of cedar!  (BTW I dont need to be told that 15 days is over two weeks.) 

The city of Jacksonville is its own worst enemy.  I sorely REGRET my vote in the last Mayor's election and I regret even more that the other candidate was worse.  That is really all this city has??  ANYONE who supports this kind of harassment within a two block radius (more than 40 citations!!!) isn't a public servant and Kim Scott's hands are all over this.  PROMOTING her to a higher position would be evidence of incompetence on the Mayor's part.  She has overseen the mis-use of federal funds and this is her way of getting back at Springfield for highlighting it.  PROMOTING her to a higher position would be evidence of incompetence on the Mayor's part

[strider]

While I am very sure that there was some legitimate citations issued, it is painfully obvious that this is both blow back and an attempt at spending some of that $400K of NSP3 funds that have sitting around. Of course there are folks who do not cut there grass often enough.  Of course there are abandoned lots and buildings that the city can and should maintain in some fashion to the betterment of the neighborhood.  But a few higher weeds around a perimeter of a fence, a chain link fence that  is indeed grandfathered in, six tall wild flowers (AKA weeds) in the middle of a yard; these types of citations are nothing but harassment and are a favored tactic of Ms Scott's and Mr Prado's. It feeds their egos to know that are spreading the misery to others.

Unless EVERY chain link fence received a citation, it is nonsense.  Unless EVERY yard with a few higher weeds received a citation is it nonsense. Some people were indeed targeted (yes, everyone even at the top of MCC knows who some of us are) and mostly, various locations were targeted because they are easy targets to spend that funding.

Is this the desired actions of a competent department head or is it the fumbling antics of an over promoted fool?  I think the latter. 

[ChriswUfGator]

Letter from Kennelly.

Send me that I'll fix it.