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The rumor mill is correct: In addition to my job with the News, I took a part-time position with the City of St. John as Code Enforcement Officer for a couple of weeks. I discovered, after the fact, that maybe I was wearing too many hats which wasn’t going to work so I now remain with the News as my sole employer again.
I wanted the city position to be more as an ambassador, rather than as an enforcer of laws, between city and citizens. Perhaps Referee is the word I’m seeking.
Understand that I’m not slamming city staff by any means.
I’ve written numerous times in the News of the good work they’ve done. But it’s been my experience to become frustrated for one reason or the other when dealing with codes and laws and ordinances and sometimes I felt like I was such an outsider that I was literally being blown off when it came to my challenges and concerns. In fact, that’s the exact term I used when I finally tired of the ping-pong match with the city a while back. I felt like I wasn’t being heard, I felt like my problem was being dismissed. I wanted validation.
Yes is not a four-letter word. It’s okay to use it.
I wanted to find a way the city and citizens could say Yes to each other. If the city tells me I have to do something to stay within code, let’s find a positive approach to make that happen. Don’t tell me No, you can’t have that fence two inches over the setback even if your neighbor’s fence is. Tell me Yes, the code says your fence encroaches but if you feel it’s warranted, you have the right to go to the zoning/planning committee to discuss a variance. Give me avenues that I can take to pursue that Yes. If I fail, then at least I had the opportunity, which is what you don’t have when you get a No. Using that approach empowers citizens and the power should always belong to the citizens.
If I tell the city of a complaint I have, I want the city to respect my problem and to quickly respond.
But just because I’m feuding with my neighbor, that does not give me the right to endlessly complain day after day and week after week about his yard needing mowed, or the paint peeling on his house, or his car parked in the driveway for too long or anything else that annoys me.
The rumor mill is correct: In addition to my job with the News, I took a part-time position with the City of St. John as Code Enforcement Officer for a couple of weeks. I discovered, after the fact, that maybe I was wearing too many hats which wasn’t going to work so I now remain with the News as my sole employer again.
I wanted the city position to be more as an ambassador, rather than as an enforcer of laws, between city and citizens. Perhaps Referee is the word I’m seeking.
Understand that I’m not slamming city staff by any means.
I’ve written numerous times in the News of the good work they’ve done. But it’s been my experience to become frustrated for one reason or the other when dealing with codes and laws and ordinances and sometimes I felt like I was such an outsider that I was literally being blown off when it came to my challenges and concerns. In fact, that’s the exact term I used when I finally tired of the ping-pong match with the city a while back. I felt like I wasn’t being heard, I felt like my problem was being dismissed. I wanted validation.
Yes is not a four-letter word. It’s okay to use it.
I wanted to find a way the city and citizens could say Yes to each other. If the city tells me I have to do something to stay within code, let’s find a positive approach to make that happen. Don’t tell me No, you can’t have that fence two inches over the setback even if your neighbor’s fence is. Tell me Yes, the code says your fence encroaches but if you feel it’s warranted, you have the right to go to the zoning/planning committee to discuss a variance. Give me avenues that I can take to pursue that Yes. If I fail, then at least I had the opportunity, which is what you don’t have when you get a No. Using that approach empowers citizens and the power should always belong to the citizens.
If I tell the city of a complaint I have, I want the city to respect my problem and to quickly respond.
But just because I’m feuding with my neighbor, that does not give me the right to endlessly complain day after day and week after week about his yard needing mowed, or the paint peeling on his house, or his car parked in the driveway for too long or anything else that annoys me.
Just because I can complain does not make my complaint valid.
But picking up that phone and calling the city to complain is a cheap and easy way to provoke, inconvenience and aggravate someone you have a beef with, which of course, is the chronic complainer’s goal. Ironically, by taking this approach, you negate your own credibility and abuse your own power as a citizen. Some times we just have to mind our own business and accept the fact that while you may like a yellow house, your neighbor may prefer a purple house. If you want all yellow houses in your neighborhood, I suggest finding a community that offers a Homeowner’s Association that dictates things like this.
Here are my thoughts for real and productive solutions:
To the City: Give the citizens respect by providing them more information than just the minimum legal requirement. Give validation to the position they’re taking and toss in a huge helping of customer service. Go the extra mile even if it’s not required. If you don’t know a way to assist someone, then quickly escalate it to those we’ve elected to represent us so we’re not left in limbo. Giving us wrong information is worse than making us wait for the right information as you demean your own credibility and over step your own authority. The buck should never stop within the city offices.
To the Citizens: Respect the city by clarifying your request and accepting that they are not, and should not be, baby sitters for petty complaints and arguments that waste time, divide neighbors and squander tax money. They shouldn’t catch flak if you’ve neglected your property, if you’ve refused to discuss things with them or if you’ve failed to learn what the law is. Get a copy of the codebook and do your homework so your chance of receiving a Yes is far greater than if you approach them with no idea how the system works.
Yes propels movement, encourages action and gets things done. And it’s only a three-letter word.
Trish Coleman is the Assistant Editor of the St. John News and can be reached at sjnews@embarqmail.com
