By Joyce Moed
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Posted November 19 2006

Wellington's extended evening hours for code compliance officers have paid off, yielding fewer parking and noise complaints, village officials said.

In February, hours were amended to 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays, continuing 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

The village issued 1,278 tickets for parking violations in the nine months since code compliance officers began rotating shifts to cover evenings, said Rose Taliau, village code compliance manager. That compares to 1,164 tickets issued for the same period a year earlier, from mid-February through mid-November 2005.

Those tickets are for violations including parking on the sidewalk, in the yard, on the street, or in the swale, the green space between the sidewalk and the roadway. Village code also prohibits parking commercial vehicles in residential neighborhoods, if they are not there on a job. Recreational trailers and boats must be screened from view.

"I think it's helpful for us to be out there in the evenings, and we plan to continue," Taliau said, although data were not readily available to show whether more tickets have been issued on evening shifts.

While George Unger, a former member of the disbanded Code Enforcement Board, thinks the expanded hours are an excellent idea, he doesn't think enforcement has gone far enough.

"If it's been effective, why do I have a pest control truck parked in my neighborhood every night for the past year and a half ?" said Unger, who lives in The Preserve, a gated community where he said homes are valued from $500,000 to $700,000.

Village code enforcement officers are allowed to enter gated communities, Taliau said.

"They're cherry-picking," said Unger, meaning selective enforcement.

He said he hasn't filed a complaint against his neighbor, even though complaints can be filed anonymously. "As a taxpayer, it's not my job to file complaints. It's the village's job to patrol," he said.

Unger said that he can take a short drive and point out boats and trailers parked without required screening in many residential areas.

Another resident who doesn't think enforcement is strong enough is Alan Weaver, who lives in the Sailboat Circle community.

"I located here because I wanted to live in a planned community with restrictions. I drive through the village, and I'm so discouraged to see trailers and boats in driveways and yards," Weaver said. "I don't think there's been an improvement in code enforcement."

Weaver and his wife, Donna, often attend the special magistrate code enforcement hearings at 9 a.m. the third Thursday of the month at the village offices at 14000 Greenbriar Blvd.

"I wonder how they picked one house, when so many others have violations," Weaver said.

The increased hours have had positive effects, said Paul Schofield, director of community services.

"To many, cars parked on sidewalks might not seem like a big deal, but it is. Kids are home from school, and their sidewalks are blocked," Schofield said. "We've seen improvements. There are fewer of these problems around."

The goal is not to fine people. "The [objective] is to get people to comply," Schofield said. "Sometimes all it takes is a knock on the door, or a courtesy note on a car. Sometimes it's a simple matter of people not knowing what the rules are. It's easier to talk to the residents at nighttime."

The village operates a staffed code compliance hotline from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. The hotline, which accepts messages at other times, is 561-753-2560.