One wonders after reading the Code Enforcement Audit; code
I found the fines jumping from $1,900 in 2003 to $129,400 in 2006 pretty astonishing. Was the city falling behind or apart before 2003?
If you read the report you will see that code enforcement now is NOT just based on a complaint basis, which pretty much means if a city employee (of any kind) drives by your place and thinks your branches or grass is to long they can mess with you. And they do.
My neighbor told me this summer that one afternoon they walked up and down our entire block looking in everyone’s yard. This is complete bologna.
Do I think we need code enforcement? Yes. But it should be based on complaints only. Once we let city workers stop by anytime they want to measure my lawn I think we are opening a gigantic can of worms.
You will also notice in the audit report that they have over $114,000 in unpaid fines, gee, I wonder why? This is a very slippery slope. Obviously Sioux Falls got by just fine up until 2003 without being jerks about our PROPERTY and PROPERTY rights. As far as I am concerned, the city owns the Blvd, and they own everything on it, including the grass and the trees, if they don’t like the way it looks, fix it and move on and stop fining people for something they don’t own.
BTW, I got a good chuckle out of the flow charts at the bottom of the Audit – beaurcracy at it’s finest. See if you can find Waldo.