- April 24, 2024
-
-
Loading
Loading
““This is pro-active and really makes a change in the community,”.”
LORI GILLOOLY, director, Habitat for Humanity
Chris Mason, Neighborhood Improvement Division manager, gave an update April 13 on changes at the department, as well as recent code changes, to Citizens for Ormond Beach, a nonprofit group of concerned citizens.
Meeting at the Ormond Beach Library, Mason told the group that one of the recent changes has been after-hours service. Three days a week, a code enforcement officer will work evenings. This solves the problem of contacting property owners who may be at work during the day, as well as checking on violations after 5 p.m.
“This has prevented cases from being continued over to the next month,” Mason said.
Another change is to assume notification 10 days after a property has been posted with a violation, rather than relying on contact by certified mail, because owners can reject certified mail.
“This allows the city to get a contractor faster to resolve the problem,” he said.
They have also hired an additional neighborhood improvement officer.
Mason emphasized that the goal of the department is to get voluntary compliance from property owners.
The City Commission has approved additional codes for “zombie” houses, which are houses that are in mortgage default but have not been taken over by a financial institution. These include no bushes over windows and doors, no boarding of windows and no garage doors that are ajar. Rita Press, president of CFOB, said many people notified the group about abandoned houses, by visiting CFOBonline.com.
“We forwarded complaints to the city and they responded,” she said.
She encourages citizens to keep logging onto the website and sending reports of problem houses.
For the next phase, Press said CFOB wants to focus on houses that have been empty for a long time and “see what the dilemma is.”
Lori Gillooly, former Ormond Beach city commissioner and director of Habitat for Humanity, said the NID should be commended for the changes they have made.
“This is pro-active and really makes a change in the community,” she said. “The volunteer group is tremendous.”
