Madison Park

Yeah I picked up on those clues you pointed out.  However the website which I am the administrator says you are a member of a premium web site that has their member area marked private.  We are not that web site as that area is public on this site. 

I don't  really care I just asked if you really lived in the neighborhood based on what popped up when I clicked on your post name.  I use to post news in nearby neighborhood web sites of general interest, so you can post outside of your area.

Just like the lady in this news story lives in Montclaire.  I certainly have not been in Montclaire nor asked that any enforcement take place in Montclaire. Those actions were inspectors, or Montclaire residents using the 311 system.  Nor did I ask for Selwyn Park to be in a sweep.  They however were in the sweep and their leadership contacted me and said Thanks.  We know you didn't ask for us to be included but Thanks! 

I really don't know who puts stuff in 311, or if Codes is making the cases themselves. We know that was the case on 4 full sweeps, but I happen to know our inspectors make "made cases" when they see issues.    I really have seen very little in violations as of lately with curb it.   What I can see is great efforts by many of our residents to follow the rules.   Including finding various ways to hold back their yard waste until the eve of pickup.    Very few locations seem to be frequent problems, but overall very much improved boundary wide.   It does not really matter to me who is putting stuff in the system.  They certainly don't need to go through me to do it.   311 is certainly a option if people have issues with neighbors.  It is a system that does not operate in conjunction with me or the HOA.   The city has made it clear how to use their system with or without your name.   I would suspect most would not say anything if it was an occasional issue, or if they knew their neighbor needed help.  They would simply help them.  We all know that was not the case 5 months ago, or most of last year when the problem exploded.  

You are correct it is not the worst crime to violate any of the common nuisances, or as you put it "not nearly as important as you think."  You don't know what I think because  I actually have said that very thing to code enforcement staff, but it does impact the neighborhoods look and the city goes as far to state safety in their materials.   The problem was it was entirely widespread on every single block and not just an occasional violator.  A bunch of little issues does make for a larger problem.  I was getting complaints and I saw it myself.   It was not just the occasional can out a few hours.  Many were left out for days at a time.  Put your green can out the wrong week and some just left them.  

Most bulk that was put out in the past and not picked up was put back in for pickup by someone in this neighborhood.  It did no good for any of us to put it in for pickup because the violator did not learn anything from us doing it.   The next time they had bulk they would just drag it to the street.   They don't know unless they get correction from the city that the bulk would never be picked up without someone putting it in. 

There are plenty of residents that are glad the city has addressed the problem with code violations of curb it.   How I know this is they sent me messages of Thanks the last several weeks and have told me to my face when I have been out and about.  A couple of the people told me they even got in trouble and that it was "OK", they even said they're going to start reporting things they see, and were "glad it was being addressed."   The first person that contacted me that got in trouble for yard waste told me that very first day months ago they were going to go around and turn every single house they see in for yard waste.  They spilled off a list to me the first day we spoke on the phone.   So there are plenty of eyes open to the problems ever how small it might be to you or others.  

Most people received no correction because they did not violate the curb it rules.  Those rules are really not that hard to follow for those that work or don't work.  In some cases it is yard crews causing the problems.    Just have the crew take it or change the day you have them come.  After all you are paying for the service.  Some have done just this to avoid having an issue.  

There use to be a call and send program where neighborhood leaders signed a contract and they kept up with their violations each week.  The program ran for an entire year at a time.  The neighborhood leaders would turn in the bulk violations to the city the day after pickup, and letters were then sent out by the city.  

The city pointed the HOA to some online tools to educate residents to violations months ago. (1st of the year).  We opted to not use any of them, but the 7 tips which is on our home page. Those 7 tips were not even accurate when I found the link on Charmeck.org for the tools.   The fines and the violations in more than one case were wrong on the 7 tips sheet.    The City Thanked me for finding the errors and corrected the data online.   The reason they wanted to come to our meeting was some of our residents ignored City Codes officials, and on top of that they were not very nice to them when they were attempting to just do their jobs.  We are now including the 7 tips to avoid codes in our Welcome packages.  The reason people said some neighbors just need to know the rules.  Hopefully this covers that need for our new residents.  I am going to assume the rest of this neighborhood knows the rules.  If not hopefully their neighbor will tell them so codes does not have to leave a blue card of warning, send a letter of warning, or worse write them a citation ticket. 

Several things have happen this year.  People are now very aware of the code rules / laws on the books for curb it.  They also know how to use the 311 system.  We now have record breaking numbers visiting our web site, attending our meetings,  and more paid members than we have ever had in the history of the HOA.  We have hundreds on our e-mail list.   All good things.  Part of this was due to media attention like this story and the last Matching Grant where we mailed HOA info out with the Madison Park CMPD requested auto cling.

Another great thing that happened for me is my phone quit ringing and my e-mails have slowed to a trickle from people complaining about their neighbors.  The reason why is there is Nothing to complain about any longer, or if it is they are using the 311 system themselves now.   So I am Thankful for that aspect.  

That said just as I said all the way back in Feb. 2013 at the HOA meeting neighbors should always try to help their neighbors out.   There are plenty of people in Madison Park that know I have done just that for them in a variety of ways from the day I moved to this neighborhood.   

Anyway no obsessing on my part.  If people think that they are incorrect.   I have not posted or brought  up the topic unless someone brings it up to me.   Matter of fact I only brought up the curb it in our Feb. 2013 meeting to the neighborhood to try and educate residents to the rules,  and in an attempt to address the problems that I was getting complaints to me on.  311 was already getting complaints from non board members,  because the inspector told me before I brought it up.   I then requested the city tackle the problem.  Which they did eventually with their sweeps.   During March 2013 and May 2013 the topic did not come up by anyone at our meetings.   One thing that codes management wanted to do is attend our HOA meeting in April 2013.  Which they did.  It was their request not mine to address any neighbor that might come to complain at the meeting and to discuss curb it.   This followed one of their sweeps where they had more than 80 violations the Thursday prior to the meeting.   They also brought the code/law in handouts to the meeting.    They had in red type each of the curb it codes violations and the possible fines.  

I can't imagine anyone not knowing the rules now in our community.  If they choose to violate the rules for whatever reason then I suspect they will hear from codes.  That is code enforcements job to handle.  We don't do any enforcement and I certainly don't do any. Anyway as you said it is City Rules and not Madison Park Rules.   The city enforces we don't. 

I certainly can't control what people put in as problems to them.  Nor would I ever want to be the gate.   It also has nothing to do with being president or not being president.  Being part of the HOA or not being part of the HOA.  Every single person in this neighborhood has the same equal rights, and the same equal use of the 311 system or other methods to have their voices or concerns dealt with.   The 311 system is just the system that the City of Charlotte and many other cities set up to take in not just the complaints for codes, but to obtain many services in this City and County. 

I find it a bit odd that any resident would be so concerned about codes doing their job or what I think or don't think.  I think those that have gotten upset have all probably been corrected by codes for violations.  Most of our neighborhood has not been corrected nor did they need to be.