Rant - Be Warned

[Chet]

Pychotic resident #8 comes in *again* today. (BTW-He looks like Eldin from Murphy Brown, but on crack). His neighbor is cutting down trees, and he wants to know why. Building Inspector, Engineer, and Planning Intern are all helping answer his questions, but he doesn't like the answer that he gets,, which is basically "He's allowed to cut his trees down if he wants to."

PR#8 insists the neighbor is up to somethings and staff is conspiring. Staffers tell him that maybe the neighbor is doing something, and he's clearing in anticipation of surveying (a precursor to applying for any permit we'd ever see). They suggest he talk to the neighbor. PR#8 gets pissy. "I aint talkin to him. I'm talkin to YOU". Demands to see me.

I tell him the same thing, so now I get his attitude "I was warned you wouldn't help me". Then he demands to know the minute his neighbor gets a permit for something. NOT GONNA HAPPEN. You'll get notices required by law, but I'm not in the habit of tracking 23,000 peoples personal preferences.

*thanks for putting up with me*
*all better now*

 

[Repo Man]

I have some lady who calls every 3 weeks to see if there is a proposal before the Architectural Review Board for a new residence in the vacant lot by her house. She calls me because I told her I would not let her know when an application comes in. It is a no-win situation.

She has tried, unsuccessfully, to lobby the city to prohibit this guy from developing the lot because she says it is too small. I informed her that this property is larger than half of the lots on the block with homes already on them, including hers.

 

[Downtown]

I completely sympathize. I was at a regional Smart Growth conference last week that was organized by a local faith based community development group. At a breakout session, I was cornered by a resident who happened to be at the conference and saw that I was from the Town. She monopolized me for 30 minutes about a proposed subdivision located next to a creek and her property. I got the same old same old "the town doesnt: care about residents (as opposed to developers), care about the environment, do enough to regulate growth, do enough to regulate traffic, is destroying our school, blah blah blah. and now she's made an appointment to meet with my boss and me for Monday. Expect more steam blowing. blargh!!!!!

 

[kms]

We had a lady call and complain about a propsed development:

"This shouldn't be allowed. We'll lose a farm."

"Where is this proposed development?"

"I can't tell you. There are wetlands there"

"Who is developing it?"

"I can't tell you"

This conversation went on for awhile, but how did she expect any help?

 

[boiker]

home occupations

This old women kept calling in about a home occupation at this guys house. I guess he's running a siding or roofing or contracting business out of it. I told her it may take some time to stop the business because we need to verify the complaint by having photo evidence of the business. I said politely that I would drive by every couple of days for a couple weeks and see if I notice the home occupation. I also said that sometimes it's helpful if citizens are able to get photographs. Mainly because we work 8-5 and some violations occur after those hours. She got pissed called me lazy and spoke to my supervisor who calmly dealt with the lady.

She was screaming at me.. I said.. look.. if i ticket him for a home business but have no evidence of that, no court in the world is going to convict him. I need evidence.. Then she hung up on me.

 

[smarty]

call of the day..........

Call of the Day.

Planner: "Hello, Planning Department."

Caller: "Yes, there is a handicapped parking spot in front of my building and someone is parking it in."

P: "Is the person handicapped or is there a blue handicap tag on the front mirror."

C: "Yes."

P: "Yes you see a tag or Yes you see they're handicapped?"

C: "That they're handicapped."

P: "Ok, I'm not an expert on the Americans with Disabilities Act, but if this person is handicapped and has the blue handicap tag, then it's really alright if they park in a designated handicap spot. That's sort of why the spots are there."

C: "Ok, I was just checking."

click......................

 

[Repo Man]

Ahh the dreaded home occupation.

We have a guy who runs a blind cleaning operation out of his home. We recently recieved a complaint that he was actually washing the blinds with a hose in the street. He was also having customers drop off, pick up, and pay for this service...also in the street.

 

[Downtown]

Our DPW secretary got a call from a man who had just paved his driveway and it came out a little darker than it was before. He wanted the Town to come out and re-pave his road, just so the road and the driveway would match. *eye roll*

 

[Chet]

Ahh the dreaded home occupation.

We have a guy who runs a blind cleaning operation out of his home. We recently recieved a complaint that he was actually washing the blinds with a hose in the street. He was also having customers drop off, pick up, and pay for this service...also in the street.

Wow, for a second while reading that, I thought he was blind and ran a cleaning business. That would suck.