Making San Antonio a better place to live and work.<\/p>\n
That’s the goal of Code Enforcement officers, and your feedback matters.<\/p>\n
For the next several weeks, the City of San Antonio’s Code Enforcement team gathering feedback and develop a new strategic plan.<\/p>\n
FOX SA’s Problem Solver Darian Trotter has details and how you can make your voice heard.<\/p>\n
“Lots of metal and pipes, just scrap,” said Albert Pena.<\/p>\n
From a front yard full of junk<\/p>\n
“It’s our version of Sanford & Son,\u201d said Robert Perez.<\/p>\n
To a front yard that looks and sounds more like an auto repair shop.<\/p>\n
“Sometimes they have cars on both sides of the street,” said Robert Perez. “Sometimes the cars stay there for three or four months.”<\/p>\n
Far too many people, in just about every corner of the city, are dealing with nuisance neighbors.<\/p>\n
“He gathers things and brings them home and it just accumulates on the front yard, said Perez. “And they just keep growing and growing and growing and the back yard is even worse.”<\/p>\n
Yep, Code Enforcement officers have their hands full, keeping neighborhoods clean and safe.<\/p>\n
Because they want to do a better job, they’re asking for your feedback.<\/p>\n
“Our city is changing it’s growing fast,” said Development Services Director Michael Shannon.” Different areas of town are certainly growing with new developments. So i think we want to get aligned with our residents in a very direct and meaningful way.”<\/p>\n
The City of San Antonio Development Services is hosting a series of listening sessions to gather input from the public.<\/p>\n
It’s a chance to share what works, what doesn’t and what changes you’d like to see in Code Enforcement.<\/p>\n
“So for us, the strategic plan is not only what we\u2019re doing today, but more importantly, what we should be doing in the next several years,” Shannon explained. “What are our priorities. What is the vision and the overall goals of code enforcement as we work to serve the community for really the next three to five years.”<\/p>\n
But wait. The Problem Solver hears from neighbors who report suspected code violations all the time.<\/p>\n
“I’ve complained so much they got tired of listening to me,” said Robert Perez.<\/p>\n
Michael Shannon explains addressing nuisance properties isn’t always swift.<\/p>\n
Every property owner has a right to due process. It’s a process being explained during the community listening sessions.<\/p>\n
“Educating our residents as what the laws are, what the legal process is, when we deal with some of those tough property owners that don’t want to comply quickly,” Shannon said. <\/p>\n
“It’s my yard I should be able to do what I want as long as it’s not harming anybody,” said homeowner Esam Chaoachi. <\/p>\n
In the case of Esam Chaouachi, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.<\/p>\n
He defends what’s covering his front yard as nothing more than his choice of landscaping.<\/p>\n
And he enjoys repurposing what some may call junk.<\/p>\n
“This is how it starts, washing machine tub and I just drill a hole and put a socket in there,” said Chaouachi. <\/p>\n
Currently there are 100 Code Enforcement officers covering 500 square miles.<\/p>\n
Some focus solely zoning violations, others, dangerous structures. And there’s the apartment inspection team.<\/p>\n
Your feedback will help determine the needs of the city and the best use of resources.<\/p>\n
“Clean up the property,” Perez said. “If you want to live like that live on the outskirts, but in the city, there are guidelines we all have to follow.” <\/p>\n
Code Enforcement is hosting ten listening sessions during the month of July.<\/p>\n
They’re scheduled in a neighborhood near you at churches, libraries, and senior centers to name a few.<\/p>\n