Council looks at code enforcement survey
City staff to generate solutions to fix problem
Porterville residents didn’t shy away from the opportunity to tell the city in a code enforcement survey what they believe should be done to get the city looking somewhat civilized again.
“Honestly, this is the largest response I have ever seen,” said Jenni Byers, the city’s community development director.
Byers said that 673 residents responded to the code enforcement survey.
Byers said the city distributed the code enforcement survey through a variety of methods, including through the mail in the June cycle of city utility bills, in the Porterville Chamber of Commerce June newsletter and electronically through the city’s website and the Choose Porterville Facebook page.
Byers said the survey asked residents a number of questions such as what code enforcement violations are the most important to them. Of the top 10 violations, Byers said the three highest priority issues were storing junk in front or side yards (82 percent), overgrown or untended landscaping (74 percent) and excessive noise like loud music and partying (66 percent).
Byers said residents also weren’t bashful about giving their two cents in the write-in section of the survey about other things they believe the city needs to get on top of that weren’t included in the survey such as fixing the city’s streets and roads.
“The majority of write-in comments were
complaints about issues in residential communities, with many responses urging the city to be more consistent or more proactive about code enforcement,” Byers said.
Byers noted that residents also expressed a high level of annoyance and impatience in their comments regarding the city’s code enforcement process.
“The typical process is once we received [a complaint] we usually send out a letter or we will send staff out to see if there’s an issue,” said Byers, adding that the city typically gives residents two weeks to clear the violation.
Nevertheless, Byers said the city has been receiving a lot of comments on its Myporterville application of residents complaining “that we are not moving fast enough.”
In spite of residents’ disappointment with the city’s current code enforcement system, Vice Mayor Brian Ward said he was glad to see, and impressed, that nearly half of the respondents to the survey said they’d be interested in volunteering their time to help improve the community.
“I think it is pretty good that we have 47 percent of those who responded who are willing to actually do something about it,” Ward said, jokingly adding, “How do we get a hold of these people.”
Although residents have said they would like to see the city be more proactive in its approach to code enforcement, Ward said he believes the code enforcement officer should focus on enforcing violations that certain neighborhoods consider a nuisance.
“It is against the code to have a boat out in front, but there are a lot of people in their neighborhoods that don’t have a problem with that,” Ward said. “So all of a sudden we are going to start policing all these things that, in their neighborhoods, they don’t have a problem with.”
You’re saying that all neighborhoods should be different, Councilmember Cameron Hamilton questioned.
Ward responded by saying that all neighborhoods should be allowed to determine what should be enforced.
“The point is that I don’t see any problem with the current complaint-driven process,” Ward said.
Ward added he also believes residents need to start taking matters in their own hands and stop expecting “the government to fix everything.”
“I get kind of frustrated when people expect the city to fix everything, for the government to fix everything,” Ward said. “At what point is government always responsible for what’s going on, when do people have responsibility and take ownership for taking pride in their community.”
Hamilton noted that a neighbor confronting another neighbor can quickly become problematic.
However, Ward didn’t budge. “If it is affecting your value, most neighbors can work things out,” he said, adding, “In today’s world, with the smartphones, you can go on the Myporterville app and you can call the city and no one is going to know in your neighborhood who did what.”
Councilmember Martha Flores said there are some residents in the city who live in neighborhoods that make them think twice about reporting their neighbor for fear of retaliation.
“I am an individual who has been very grateful to utilizing the services of code enforcement way before I ever came on to council, but I have also had people, now that I am on council, that stated that they are afraid to call because they are afraid that they will be fingered out,” Flores said, adding, “They want to be a participant, but there is some resistance for some.”
Porterville resident Renee Kirtley, who is currently having problems with her neighbors parking two, 15foot long trailers in their driveway, said she can’t quite agree with Ward’s advice either.
“You said we should talk to our neighbors, but I don’t feel strong enough to talk to these guys that are in their 20s,” she said. “You want me to go over there and knock on their door. What am I going to do, and why do I pay taxes.”
Mayor Milt Stowe said if the city wants residents to start taking pride in their neighborhoods then the city needs to start leading by example.
“We used to have a nice, clean community and people just don’t care because we don’t care,” Stowe said. “Once we start caring then the people will start caring about their property and cleaning things up.”
Councilmember Monte Reyes said the city should go and enforce the top three code enforcement violations immediately.
“It could be priority based where things that are more hazardous should be taken care of,” Reyes said, adding that if there is going to be more active enforcement then something else may be neglected.
Whatever ends up happening, Porterville resident Steve Chamberlain said the city just needs to make sure to fix the problem because it is “terrible.”
“I have been here 40 years and it is just getting disgusting. I can’t believe that people won’t stand up and do something about it,” Chamberlain said. “You sit up here and argue about petty things when this town is going to hell. I think you better wake up and take a look at your city and quit arguing about petty, little things.”
City Manager John Lollis said city staff will develop some options and bring them back to council within a month.
Byers said some potential options staff has already come up with include additional code enforcement officers and a code enforcement volunteer program.