Code Volunteer Program

The City of Hollywood Code Enforcement Unit has created a program aimed at recruiting volunteers to issue warning notices to residents who are violating certain City codes. The corps of Code Officers in Hollywood has shrunk from 19 to 12 and there will not be any more Code Officers added in the foreseeable future. So the Code Enforcement Unit (now under the Police Dept.) has created a program that will allow residents to issue violation notices. If the violations are not corrected within a certain time period, then the area Code Officer will respond and issue a full violation with fine. Training and a background check will be required to participate. If you are interested, please contact Sgt. Thea Basler, 954-967-4456.

Blight in the Lakes

In Fall 2010 Commissioner Patty Asseff asked for volunteers from the Lakes neighborhood to serve on a committee that would address blight related issues in the Hollywood Lakes Section. Since then a Blight Buster Committee has been established that meets monthly or more frequently as needed. The initial target area was defined as the area bordered by Federal Highway to North 15^th Ave, Johnson Street to Taft Street. Eventually the committee will move on to focus on other areas in the Lakes Section where blight and deterioration are taking away from the beauty, quality of life and property value.

Commissioner Asseff has since chaired the committee and officials from the City’s Code Enforcement Department as well as members of the HLSCA Board of Directors and HLSCA members are participating. The committee has toured the defined area and a number of items were identified to be addressed, ranging from code compliance related issues to crime, loitering, property neglect and beautification ideas.

The goal is to work with Code Enforcement, the Hollywood Police, City officials, residents and businesses in this area to reverse the trend of deterioration. The committee is also presently making an effort to meet with managers from CVS, Publix and Walgreen to discuss measures that would address loitering and unwanted elements at these locations.

Brush Pick Up Debacle

History of the Problem:

Since October, 2009, the City's Office of Code Compliance began a stepped up enforcement of City Ord. 50.04 "Collection of Commingled Waste and Recovered Material." This stepped up enforcement saw many Hollywood residents cited for placing their brush and palm fronds in the back of their property next to the alleys for pick up by the new contractor, Waste Pro. Residents were confused as this practice has been very common for as long as anyone can remember. The HLSCA complained to the City and at the HLSCA’s October General Membership meeting on Tuesday, October 13th, 2009, attendees heard Director of Code Enforcement, Clay Milan, review the City’s Commingled Waste ordinance that, according to Mr. Milan, does not permit brush storage during the month on private property. Many of you that received the Notice of Violation and had your brush piles sprayed painted red for placing your brush on your property by the alley as you have done for many years are as confused as we are by this turn of events. Why, after all these years, are we in violation for trimming our trees and shrubs and placing them on our property next to the alley for pick up?

Most importantly, the HLSCA is firmly in support of the City in their efforts to keep the alleys, swales and streets free of brush and hard junk. We are in no way advocating that residents be allowed to block the alleys and streets with brush and junk. That is and should clearly be a violation. However, placing brush, palm fronds and plant trimmings at the rear of your property adjacent to the alley OFF OF THE ALLEY PAVEMENT, should not be a violation. After all, where are residents supposed to store brush? On our pool patios? In our garages? In our living rooms? Or should we just let the palm fronds litter our yards until the last week of the month when the scheduled pick up takes place?

For the City to expect residents to do their yard trimmings and clean up only during the weekend before the scheduled pick up is unrealistic and impractical. Therefore, being able to store brush in a designated area on your property off of the alley pavement as we have done for so many years without penalty is not an unreasonable expectation. Unfortunately, the City interprets the code differently. Why the change of thinking at the City? One reason may be the initial poor service we received from the City’s new sanitation contractor, Waste Pro. We all lived through the first six months of the Waste Pro contract when even small brush piles were not picked up. These small piles grew into large piles that began spilling onto the alley pavement creating a hazard for vehicles that access the alleys. Residents began to complain. Finally, in early September, the City came down hard on Waste Pro and they began picking up every pile, regardless of size. They did a very good job of cleaning up brush and hard junk throughout the City. This created a starting point or base line. Going forward, the City knows that, effective October 1st, the alleys were fairly clean of brush and hard junk. We think that may have instigated the renewed enforcement effort.

At the meeting, various ideas were floated. The HLSCA would like to know your feelings on the following potential solutions to the brush storage/pick up problem:

1) Replace one of the two weekly garbage pick ups with a brush pick up. This would be very easy to do as Waste Pro already uses the same trucks and crews, we are told, for both functions. It is felt that most people could live with just one garbage pick up each week. For those that fill their garbage container up twice a week, a second gray container could be obtained from the City.

2) Keep both weekly garbage pick ups but add a weekly brush pick up – for an additional fee added to your water bill. At this time, we are not sure how much this would cost residents but we feel that it would be nominal. As in #1, this solution would help those residents that do not live on an alley.

3) Amend the existing code to allow for brush storage of 4 cubic yards or less at the rear of your property adjacent to (but not on) the alley pavement. Some residents have a “brush bay” along their fence line. A brush bay is an area along the rear property fence line that is indented or notched and allows for brush or your garbage can to sit neatly without being on the alley pavement.

Below are two photos showing the brush bay concept:

Brush bay off of alley on private property     Brush bay on S. Northlake Drive

As can be seen in the above photo, a brush bay can even be created along the street, off of the pavement, for those residents that live on North or South Lake and do not have an alley. 

But, help may be on the horizon as we have learned that the Code Compliance office heard us loud and clear at January 19^th meeting attended by the HLSCA and the Hollywood Hills Civic Assn. and is proposing changes to the City commingled ordinances. While the City is reviewing the flawed ordinance, the Code Compliance office will not be writing citations for brush piles that are placed out during the month as long as these piles are on private property and NOT touching the alley pavement. Stay tuned for more….

Of course, we welcome other suggestions, too! info@hollywoodlakes.com

Dog Beach in Hollywood

A group of Hollywood residents have successfully created a dog beach on Hollywood Beach that would allow dogs on certain days at certain times. For more info, visit the group's website at www.dboh.org  

Sailor's Point

The Gulfstream Sailing Club operates a sailing program at Sailor's Point on North Lake (9th Ave. and N. Northlake Drive). Classes for beginners and small sailboat rentals are available. For more information on the Sailor’s Point Sailing Program, call Donna French at 954-829-0484.                                                                

Sailor’s Point offers a variety of sailing programs for children and adults. Our Learn to Sail class is perfect for children ages 8 to 14, as we start with a Level 1 class that teaches the basics, and advance to the Level 2 class that offers a racing series.

Adults can take advantage of our Winter, Spring and Summer Learn to Sail classes. All classes cost $110 for residents and $165 for non-residents. All classes are held at Sailor’s Point, 921 North Northlake Drive.

For more information on Sailor’s Point, visit www.sailorspoint.org or contact Luis Oliveira luisrato@bellsouth.net (954-675-1440)

 HLSCA Website Archives - Click here to review important issues and topics from the recent past on our HLSCA Archives Page

MESSAGE FROM CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICE

  Did You Know?

Proper Placement of Commingled Waste

By Alex Araya, Neighborhood Code Enforcement Officer

Beware of Bees!

Code Compliance has responded to a number of calls involving bee infestations.  Some of the bees have turned out to be the Africanized variety.   Unfortunately, you cannot tell the difference between an Africanized honey bee and a European honey bee simply by looking at it because the two types appear identical. Bees protect their hive from predators, including humans, by stinging once.  Africanized bees respond quickly to disturbances by people and animals who venture within fifty feet of their hive.  They sting in larger numbers and have been known to chase an enemy a quarter of a mile or more.  This means it is unlikely you will be able to outrun a swarm of Africanized bees.

 If you do encounter bees, retreat from the area as quickly and quietly as possible. If you are being chased, protect your face and eyes.  Run away in a straight line to the nearest shelter.  A car with closed doors, a house or a building would be good choices. I am a cave diver and can hold my breath a long time, so my previous plan for outsmarting bees was to jump into the nearest pool.  However, experts advise against this.  Africanized bees are extremely persistent and will wait and sting you every time you surface to breathe.  You could be stung repeatedly and trapped in the water for a very long time. Despite the potential hazard posed by Africanized bees, honey bees are vital for the pollination of plants that provide food for both humans and animals.  Residents who find a beehive on their property are advised to contact a beekeeper for proper disposal of the bees.  You can contact Code Compliance at 954.921.3061 for additional information about beekeepers.