So the 50K has everyone pissed. Got a fix for that!

I understand why the use of taxpayer funds for such activity has raised hackles. Let me tell a short story that may, note I say may, amaze some of you. 

Let's take a recent situation where a local business owner purchased a rather large 5th wheel camper.  He parked it in his yard and was informed by city code enforcement that the location he had chosen was in violation of the ordinance regarding such vehicles. Note: This incident is the 4th such violation in the past 3 years.  The individule is notified via city form letter that he must relocate or remove the trailer or face a fine of up to $200.00 a day.  The notification letter (which had been sent in all of the previous violation cases) specificaly outlines the process to appeal such a determination.  This process gives the violater 10 days to appeal the violation to the city Board of Adjustments. (BOA) When one reads the city ordinances one determines this is the only method by which enforcement may be suspended. (suspending the $200.00 a day fine) The fine suspension remains effective until the BOA has made a decision one way or the other.  If the violator does not agree with the BOA decision, it can go to court and the fine suspension remains in effect until the court makes their decision.

Now, let's bring into the picture, a recently re-elected city councilman ( not hard to figure this out) who just happens to be good friends with the trailer owner.  Suddenly, the code violation process is short-circuited and the fines are being held in abeyance until the violators " application for road closure" works it's way through the system.  Yes, the violator has asked the city to "give" him the street adjacent to his home.  He has not gone to the BOA as the rest of us would have to do, but continues to park his equipment in violation of code. 

Closing the street and giving the violator, Mr. Buff-Bucks, the street, eliminates the code violation and allows him to park whatever he wants where ever he wants.  Know that the chief code enforcement officer, Mr. Harrell stated that the fines for this 10 month long violation would total $41,600.00 if collected.

Knowing that the violator was going to get off pretty much scott-free, the Mayor, Mr. Sheridan, Ms. Tomey, and of course Mr. (lets help this one citizen) Rivenbark, voted to close the street and give this publicly owned property to the code violator. The property is just a little smaller than the lots in this neighborhood.  The average lot is valued(?) by NHC at $58,000.00. 

Code enforcement issued a citation to the violator for $9,000.00 not the $41,600.00 that should have been collected.  So, the violator got a public street, the right to park anything he wants on it, the right to tell others to stay off the roadway, about $40,000.00 worth of land and $32,000.00 in fine reductions.

I'm sorry, at least more than one person benifited from the Gravely affair.  This guy gets it all.

Maybe to celebrate his success he will provide us all with a stocking full of buff-bucks.