Code Cites Kids Garden for Bolted Head of Lettuce

[sheclown]

Amanda will be on first coast news tonight at 11:00.

[sheclown]

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Hundreds of homes are getting cited by code enforcement under Jacksonville's Operation Urban Blight program.

The city says the code enforcement is part of the ongoing program that began in July 2013. Code enforcement has been visiting several zip codes including the Northside area of Jacksonville, Riverside and Springfield to clean up the city. Downtown is next.

Some residents, like Amanda Searle in Springfield, say they've seen an increase in citations in Springfield and they think it's getting out of hand

...more

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/story/news/2014/04/04/homes-cited-code-enforcement-operation-blight/7333787/

[strider]

Initiatives like this cost tax payer dollars to do.  Extra funds for car usage, employee time and then all the associated paperwork and follow up required for those additional citations issued.  Then of course, there is the cost of grass cutting or land clearance if no one takes care of the cited issues themselves.  The city has contractors just waiting for that and the charges are normally pretty lucrative for those contractors.

How is Jacksonville Paying for this?  Is it those NSP3 funds? MCC got $400,000.00 for this type of blight removal, perhaps this initiative is how they are spending it.  NSP3 is restricted to certain zip codes.  Are those the same zip codes as being targeted with this sweep?

[avs]

Here is the news story.  The reporter pulled the data and 400 citations were issued in Springfield during that time! http://www.firstcoastnews.com/story/news/2014/04/04/homes-cited-code-enforcement-operation-blight/7333787/

The email that I sent to City Council lays out the issues with funding strider:
"I am writing to follow up on the Ad Hoc Committee Meeting on Blight and the abuse of this program by the Code Enforcement Department. 

As I and other residents stated yesterday, over 40 Notices were delivered last Friday in a 4 block radius for inaccurate code violations.  In the past two weeks over 100 of these have been delivered in the Springfield Historic District.  As I stated yesterday, I walked my 4 block area and documented each of the Notices and what the violation was and most of them were for "nuisance vegetation exceeding 15 inches over a majority of the parcel." - which was NOT TRUE in most cases.  Case in point, I am attaching two pictures of my own parcel that was noticed for "nuisance vegetation exceeding 15 inches over a majority of the parcel, or untended growth or weeds, grass, underbrush, or undergrowth, or other noxious vegetation" and "garbage, rubbish, and/or debris."  (at least I assume it was intended for my parcel, as that is where it was attached although the RE number isn't in existence).  One picture was taken the day we were cited and the other picture was taken the day our regular landscaping crew finished.  As CM Crescimbeni noted, its difficult to tell the difference between the two.  This is true for many of these parcels that received Notices.  Not to mention we are the process of completing our second home renovation (increasing the tax base) and have an open permit, something the Code officer could easily have looked up.

The Kids Garden was also Noticed for the tires that the kids decorated to use as flower planters.

I understand that I can pay $10 and appeal my case before the Magistrate and that I have a good case for getting it removed, as CM Love pointed out.  However, I would like to point out to you, as you consider this tactic for your "blight" committee, that for the city to go around giving out Notices that are really not violations and forcing tax paying citizens to contest these matters before a Magistrate and pay $10 is really harassment on the City's part and a way to line the City's pockets.  $10 is not a lot, but when 40 citizens in a 4 block radius have to go before the Magistrate to contest an inaccurate violation then that adds up for the City pretty quickly, especially when spread all over the city as Code states they are going to do.  Not to mention all of the wasted tax payer money on man hours involved to pursue these bogus cases.

CM Boyer thanked us for bringing our concerns before the Committee so that the Committee can find solutions to things that may not be working.  Perhaps, each $10 fee should be returned to the citizen if the citizen wins the appeal?  This would be an incentive for Code Enforcement to focus on REAL BLIGHT, cases they can win, which is the purpose of the program.  The UNF students made a point in their presentation yesterday that Code Enforcement is part of the cure for blight, but they accurately described it as EFFECTIVE Code Enforcement.  Our community is now peppered with lose yellow notices, in the gutters, in the easements - the city has created visual blight in its reckless, harassing behavior.

I understand that Code Enforcement is losing a portion of its budget from DART money via Jax Journey.  I am attaching an email from Kim Scott.   I would like to direct your attention to page two where Kim Scott states: "At this rate, MCCD will have no funding, excluding lien revenue utilized by regular nuisance abatement (cutting/cleaning) to support board ups and demolitions."  We learned in the meeting yesterday of the effort ramp up employment of the Mowing Division.  Could this be an effort to start exercising more liens?  Is Code Enforcement using the guise of your Committee's fight against blight to generate revenue for demolishing homes in our National Historic District??  Again, this is harassment on the part of the city and needs to be investigated.

I am not the only tax paying citizen in Springfield upset by this.  We regret the fact that we will be forced to help organize those citizens that were involved.  We are all very busy with our revitalization efforts and our careers but it seems the only way to make our voices heard is to collectively come before you to stop this abuse of your Blight Initiative."

[avs]

Here are the attachments to that email

[Sunbeam]

you all talk a big game but I have to laugh...Kim Scott is up for re-appointment,  I bet none of you show up in council chambers to speak let alone complain.

You'll blog here but who, if any will at least write Council Reps?

Hhmmmm?


2014-215
RESO Conf Appt of Kimberly Scott as Director of Regulatory Compliance Dept. (McCain) (Req of Mayor)

1. 3/25/2014 CO  Introduced: R

   3/31/2014 R Read 2nd & Rerefer

[sheclown]

you all talk a big game but I have to laugh...Kim Scott is up for re-appointment,  I bet none of you show up in council chambers to speak let alone complain.

You'll blog here but who, if any will at least write Council Reps?

Hhmmmm?


2014-215
RESO Conf Appt of Kimberly Scott as Director of Regulatory Compliance Dept. (McCain) (Req of Mayor)

1. 3/25/2014 CO  Introduced: R

   3/31/2014 R Read 2nd & Rerefer

Hahahaha. Good one

Watch the video of the rules committee meeting.

http://www.metrojacksonville.com/forum/index.php/topic,21091.0.html

Accuse us of many things if you'd like, but NEVER of inaction.

[JaxUnicorn]

you all talk a big game but I have to laugh...Kim Scott is up for re-appointment,  I bet none of you show up in council chambers to speak let alone complain.

You'll blog here but who, if any will at least write Council Reps?

Hhmmmm?


2014-215
RESO Conf Appt of Kimberly Scott as Director of Regulatory Compliance Dept. (McCain) (Req of Mayor)

1. 3/25/2014 CO  Introduced: R

   3/31/2014 R Read 2nd & Rerefer

Hahahaha. Good one

Watch the video of the rules committee meeting.

http://www.metrojacksonville.com/forum/index.php/topic,21091.0.html

Accuse us of many things if you'd like, but NEVER of inaction.

That really did make me laugh!  Sunbeam, Preservation SOS has been writing to City Council members and speaking at City Council and appropriate sub-committee meetings for a very long time.  At one meeting in June 2013, I actually called for Kim Scott's dismissal for the mis-use of Federal funds in demolishing historic structures.  Sheclown is right.....there is NEVER inaction on the part of Preservation SOS. 

And in case you want to simply view our comments at last week's Rules Committee meeting, here's a direct link to the meeting video.  Fast forward to about 25 minutes in...(although I would encourage you to read the entire thread sheclown provided - a lot of good information).
http://media.coj.net/City_Council/Rules_3-31-14.wmv

[Scrub Palmetto]

I don't understand a city at battle with its own neighborhoods, especially its most distinctive ones. It's sticking its own head in the guillotine. "What could possibly go wrong?"

[JaxUnicorn]

I don't understand a city at battle with its own neighborhoods, especially its most distinctive ones. It's sticking its own head in the guillotine. "What could possibly go wrong?"

There's a lot of us asking the same questions....   

[duvaldude08]

you all talk a big game but I have to laugh...Kim Scott is up for re-appointment,  I bet none of you show up in council chambers to speak let alone complain.

You'll blog here but who, if any will at least write Council Reps?

Hhmmmm?


2014-215
RESO Conf Appt of Kimberly Scott as Director of Regulatory Compliance Dept. (McCain) (Req of Mayor)

1. 3/25/2014 CO  Introduced: R

   3/31/2014 R Read 2nd & Rerefer

you must be new one here? Because what you just said is ridiculous.

[avs]

Something else that needs to be really examined is all the money wasted in citing ridiculous nuisance items that are most likely to be won on appeal.  The city has to send out certified letters to each citation recipient.  That cost is a little over $5, I believe.  The reporter in the link above reported that there were over 400 citations issued in Springfield in that brief time.  That is A LOT of tax money wasted on people who never should have been cited in the first place.

[IrvAdams]

Something else that needs to be really examined is all the money wasted in citing ridiculous nuisance items that are most likely to be won on appeal.  The city has to send out certified letters to each citation recipient.  That cost is a little over $5, I believe.  The reporter in the link above reported that there were over 400 citations issued in Springfield in that brief time.  That is A LOT of tax money wasted on people who never should have been cited in the first place.

And wasting city gas money, and wages, and employee's time when they could hopefully be doing something more useful.

[Debbie Thompson]

I'm still laughing at what Sunbeam said.  Who's going to show up or email.  Not upset.  I'm ROFL.

[sheclown]

Local neighborhood questions citations for blight

http://www.actionnewsjax.com/mostpopular/story/Local-neighborhood-questions-citations-for-blight/8hNJEkugv0KISH998UusnA.cspx