Turf Wars

Don't like your neighbor? Dallas Code Compliance feels your pain. They really do.

A A A Comments By Zac Crain Thursday, Aug 5 2004

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But she's moving on, filling the vacated posts with her kind of code inspectors, people who are willing to work with problem neighbors rather than declare all-out war. Mostly, she wants to improve the department's efficiency. She's already made strides in that area, improving how Code Compliance deals with bulk trash violators. On August 1, the city will begin issuing immediate citations with a penalty of up to $175 to residents who put bulk trash on the curb out of schedule. Before, violators were sent a warning by certified mail that a citation would be issued if the trash wasn't picked up. Of course, by the time the warning was picked up from the post office--as long as 10 days after it was mailed--the trash had already been picked up.

That's just one step. She knows there are many others to take.

Mark Graham

A playhouse built outside a damaged home on Briar Cove Drive drew neighbors' complaints.

Mark Graham

The city finally cut the weeds at this vacant house on Sandra Lynn Drive, but the mower knocked bricks loose, further uglying up the already decrepit structure.

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"I don't think I'll ever be satisfied," she says. "I'm just that kind of person. It's never good enough, there's always more to do, there's always other things in the neighborhoods that I'd like to go out and accomplish. We passed a wonderful multifamily ordinance this spring, in March, and already there are things that I'm thinking about, like, 'Well, you know, if this works, then we ought to think about tweaking this a little bit and trying to improve it even further than what it is.'"

Veletta Lill, who started the investigation that led to the terminations in June, is confident that the right person is in place to turn the department around.

"Ms. Davis has a challenging year ahead of her," she says. "To hire new folks and to train them properly and then begin the implementation process. But I have faith that we can get this situation under control and that we can make a difference in cleaning up our community."