Code Enforcement Manager Tray Towles gave a presentation on the department for the 2014-15 fiscal year at the City Commission meeting Monday, Oct. 12.
In the 2014-15 fiscal year, which ended Wednesday, Sept. 30, Code Enforcement made 8,115 total actions, a 19% increase from the 6,807 actions in the 2013-14 fiscal year.
Out of 1,075 new investigations this year, the department completed 701. Code Enforcement averaged a 65% completion rate on 2014-15 cases.
Actions taken by Code Enforcement include removing illegal signs, clearing trash and other debris, and follow-up inspections.
The 19% increase in total actions comes from a department made up of only three people: Towles and inspectors Omar Cortez and Tina Barber. Towles took over as Code Enforcement manger about one year ago.
Overgrown vegetation was the most common violation, followed by property maintenance violations and inoperable vehicles. Towles and his team mowed many overgrown lots themselves on properties that were either abandoned or bank owned. There were 374 lots mowed in the 2014-15 fiscal year compared to 108 in the previous fiscal year.
The department also removed 3,089 illegal signs, a 2% increase over the 3,025 signs removed in the 2013-14 fiscal year. Towles is expecting to remove more illegal signs in 2016, as it is a presidential election year.
Commissioner Mary Thomas Mathis commended Towles and his team on a job well done.
“You can definitely see the difference,” Mathis said. “To you and your staff, thank you so much for what you’re doing.”
Mayor Rick Lott also offered his accolades to the department.
“I think we all very much appreciate you and your group,” Lott said. “Please tell your staff we appreciate them.”
Lott also said that maintaining neighborhoods and businesses in Plant City creates a clean appearance for the community.
“Once you allow a neighborhood to deteriorate, it has a domino effect,” Lott said. “He’s been stepping up the code enforcement by making sure we’re taking proper care of our buildings.”
Many residents voluntary comply when code enforcement finds a violation. Residents are given a 10-day window to begin fixing the violation. Since October 2014, only one case has been brought to the Code Enforcement board. In the previous fiscal year, eight cases were brought to the board.
Contact Emily Topper at etopper@plantcityobserver.com.
COMPARISON
Actions
2013-14: 6,807
2014-15: 8,115
Mowed lots
2013-14: 108
2014-15: 374
Sign removal
2013-14: 3,025
2014-15: 3,089
IN OTHER NEWS
The City Commission voted to appoint a new member to the Library Board. The board had a vacancy because of the recent resignation of Dave Sollenberger, who is moving out of state.
The two contenders were David Miller and Star Anderson. The Commission voted to appoint Miller, following a nomination by Commissioner Mike Sparkman. Miller is a retired executive from CF Industries and a former YMCA Strong Leader Award winner.
“He’s just been someone that has been a big volunteer in the community,” Mayor Rick Lott said.
Among his accomplishments, Miller has helped with a fundraising campaign for South Florida Baptist Hospital’s emergency room and helped raise money for the Plant City Family YMCA.
The City Commission voted to approve three Historic Resource Board reappointments. The reappointments are Shelby Bender, Marsha Passmore and Benny Lubrano Jr.
Passmore is the president of Plant City Entertainment, and Lubrano is the museum caretaker of the Robert W. Willaford Railroad Museum. Shelby Bender has served on the Historic Resources Board for over 20 years.
PUBLIC HEARINGS
At the next City Commission meeting Monday, Oct. 26, the Commission will have a public hearing on the adoption of a small map amendment of about 4 acres of land at 1809 James L. Redman Parkway. The land would have a commercial use and is currently designated for a residential use.
The Commission will also have a public hearing at the Monday, Oct. 26, meeting about rezoning 1807 and 1809 James L. Redman Parkway from a single-family dwelling district to a neighborhood business district. The lots are about 4.62 acres.