Published: September 7, 2015

Have had a long term battle with the City of Plantation concerning their Code Enforcement, or lack thereof, in the Park East Community. As a resident of the community I have spent many hours just trying to get the City of Plantation to enforce the codes of the city equitably on the east side of the turnpike compared to the west.

Sorry, have a problem with community members parking their cars on their front lawns overnight or at any time. There was one residence that did just this and brought it up at the City of Plantation City Council meeting a couple of times with absolutely no action. Confirming no action by the City of Plantation through the city’s Citizen Access Portal. Because the property was a rental, the issue was resolved when the tenant moved out, not the City of Plantation Code Enforcement officer doing his job!

My biggest concern is that because the City of Plantation Code Enforcement condoned the parking of cars on front lawns by doing nothing it has made it like it is accepted to park cars on the front lawn in the Plantation Park East Community and now there is another doing just that. This has been going on all summer long with no action from the City of Plantation Code Enforcement.

Along with the condoning of parking cars in front lawns the City of Plantation Code Enforcement does nothing about residents placing their bulk trash out weeks early with no action either.

The City of Plantation Code Enforcement is supervised by Police Chief W. Howard Harrison, with whom I have had many discussions over many years. Considering that our taxes pay for Code Enforcement Officers to patrol the city’s communities, in my view, are wasting our tax dollars because of their inequitable enforcement. That is all I am asking, that the City of Plantation Code Enforcement Officers enforce equally on both sides of the turnpike.

Police Chief Harrison and I have had many discussions concerning the City of Plantation Code Enforcement. He was quick to offer his contact information and many times I have taken him up by attending the City of Plantation City Council meetings and speaking with him personally. But a pattern evolved that the only time something was actually done is when it is on the record, meaning speaking in front of the City of Plantation City Council meeting or emailing the City of Plantation City Council members and him. Every time I have voiced my concerns Police Chief Harrison has denied ANY issue.

As a concerned resident, if any resident takes the time to voice a concern, that concern should be validated, not denied by any representative of the City of Plantation. I have also made the comment that this is the first city I have ever lived in that pits neighbor against neighbor instead of doing the job that they are paid for.

As an example of the policy of pitting neighbor against neighbor just look at the City of Plantation Police Department page. A link is provided to “report concerns” which opens an email but yet if you have an issue with an “Employee” you have to download a Adobe Acrobat PDF document, fill it out identifying yourself and personally submit the form.

You may think these issues are trivial, these issues effect property values! Every resident should be involved maintaining their own property.  The purpose of the City of Plantation Code Enforcement is to insure that the quality standards of the City of Plantation are enforced equally and not pit neighbor against neighbor!