Selective Fecklessness

John here.

Some time last winter, Alverson repaired his fence. In the process, he hung the driveway gate so it opened outward. Thereafter, when leaving he would open the gate and leave it blocking the sidewalk.

I posted about that Wednesday (2 days ago) and Carolyn complained to Code the same day. Thursday Alverson rehung the gate so it opens inward. This morning he opened it (inward), drove out, and closed it.

The records at Code say that, as of Thursday: "We are currently checking out the violation at the address given, we will be giving this to our Trans Dept for possible resolution to this complaint."

Manifestly, Code contacted Alverson. By the same inference, Code is not keeping accurate records.

Still more to the point, Code got that violation cured in one day, with no notices, citations, appearances before the magistrate, orders, or fines.

Then we have the weeds that Code wrote on July 5, following earlier notices for weeds on July 8, 2009 and April 18, 2011. Here is how they looked yesterday (July 21):

Then we have "accumulations" (of trash). Code has written Alverson for accumulations fifteen times:

The most recent notice was, again, July 5. Aside from an early flurry of trash removal, the latest notice has had no effect on the trash behind the shed


or the fencing on the ground


Then we have seven "structure" notices going back to March 22, 2006, at least two of which mention "paint." Contrast those with the current condition of the building:

The weed and trash violations mostly are repeats. The paint, however, has never been corrected.

So we have Code nonEnforcement able to get the gate fixed in one day, but utterly impotent as to repeated weed and trash violations or to get the building painted. On the evidence of the gate (and the early, albeit partial trash pickup after the July 5 visit), I'm inclined to think they CAN do their job, they just don't want to.


Note added on July 24: Carolyn posits that Alverser was responding to this blog rather than to somebody from Code. If so, it would mean that the Code record might be accurate but their effectiveness is even less that suggested above.