Updated: 11/5/2009 9:26:23 AM
On a brisk November morning, city workers hit the streets of the Parkridge neighborhood to look for code violations.
"We're out here for the neighborhood and for the homeowners to try to make this neighborhood cleaner and better and safer," said Chad Weth, city planning coordinator for the Public Service Division.
He spent much of the morning walking along Woodbine Avenue, looking out for trash, dirty yards, overgrown lots and inoperable vehicles.
He was one of more than a dozen city workers who took part in the effort, dubbed a "Neighborhood Sweep."
"Our hope is that we know about a problem with the property before the call comes in, that's the ideal," said David Massey with the Office of Neighborhoods. "This has been a complaint-driven system because we simply don't have the resources to go block by block every day, looking for codes violations."
Each year, the city's 311 call center takes in between 12,000 and 13,000 code violation complaint calls.
This effort aims to allow inspectors to be more proactive rather than reactive.
On Wednesday, they were only issuing warnings, no citations, although inspectors will follow up in about two weeks. Citations could be issued then.
Overall, the neighborhood reaction was positive.
"I think that's a good thing in the neighborhood," said Arthur Henry, who was issued a warning for debris in his backyard. "The neighborhood needs it, it really does."
Henry explained that financial troubles were preventing him from loading up and hauling away the debris.
Weth told him the city might be able to help provide a courtesy bin.
It's just one of several ways the city and non-profit organizations try to help property owners in need who meet the right financial qualifications.
"Our hope, obviously, is just that the neighborhood become a cleaner, better place to live, better for the community," Weth said. "Most of our knocking on the doors was very well-received. I think people really just want to live in a nice, clean neighborhood."
