Here's a classic example of why we need to clean house in the Code Compliance middle and upper management:
 

Weekend sale, EVERY WEEKEND on Walnut Hill Lane.  Not just a garage sale, but new tires, with expensive, glistening hubcaps.   Classic case of using a residence as an illegal retail sales outlet.  Great location!  Of course, this causes a huge traffic hazard as cars park in the right hand land of a very busy thoroughfare.   I called it in two weeks ago, on a Saturday.  I told the 3-1-1 person this was a weekend-only event. Took the service number: 175821.

5/5 Darryl Baker:    Our code issue in Kiestwood is just the opposite of what poor Tim Dickey is experiencing with the weekend garage sales being investigated during the weekdays.  Yes, the managers need to be called on the carpet for not READING the complaint with some level of understanding that their pay grade would demand.  Want to take a bet as to whether this particular manager actually LIVES in Dallas city limits (smile)?    Anyway, our Code Officer, Ms. Barbara Brown, has done an excellent job in the 2 years she has been in our area.  She has been efficient, effective and responsive to our needs.  She has also been consistent and fair.  Now, she is being transferred, we are just sick about it!  We want her to stay.    What can we do when things are really working well and changes are not needed?

The following Thursday, I get a follow-up e-mail telling me the complaint had been checked out, "no violation found, case closed".

Turns out the Code Compliance officer had gone to the location on Wednesday.  I called the Code Compliance officer and pointed out that I had called this in as a weekend-only occurrence.  Of course, there would not be a violation on a Wednesday.
 

Here's where it gets crazy:   The officer told me the city policy is for complaints to be checked out within 3 days, NO MATTER WHAT.  

I said, "that's crazy, because for weekend sales, called in on weekends, they will all be found to be not in violation when the officer goes out 3 days later, on a weekday, and all those cases will be automatically closed and the problems will persist."
 

Huge shrug of shoulders, and a "what am I supposed to to, I'm just a lowly code compliance officer" response.  The gentleman was sympathetic, gave me his mobile number and said to call him directly next time it happened.
 

Well, it happened again Sunday, 3/4/8, and I called the officer's number.  I think he's off on Sunday.  So I called 3-1-1. Here's the e-mail I received:

 

Thank you for contacting the City of Dallas to report your concern regarding - 32** WALNUT HILL LN, DALLAS, TX 75220.  Your SR # - 08-0020xxxx has been assigned to the Department of Code Compliance; Service Request Type - Garage Sale Eve/Weekends - DCC.  Your concern will be addressed within 3 days.  The estimated completion time for service requests of this nature is 7 days.

 

Same problem: "your concern will be addressed within 3 days".

 

Code Compliance gets an "A" for initiating a quick response to calls.  It used to be 10 days.
 

Code Compliance gets an "F" for not figuring out that weekend sales should NOT automatically be responded to within 3 days for the painfully obvious reason.

 

FAIR TAXPAYER QUESTION:  Surely the officers know this is a huge loophole.  Why do they just go out within 3 days and wrongly close these weekend-only cases over and over and over and never recommend that the system be changed?

 

Or, if they HAVE reported this glitch in the system, why haven't the managers fixed it?

 

Tim Dickey
Dallas taxpayer

Ward politics is the Devil's key to the soul of the city council.  It is how some council members got themselves in trouble in the past.  It is the bait that will get others in trouble in the future. 4/6/8