Around Oakley: Property-maintenance codes catch some by surprise

In December 2007, the city of Oakley finalized its property-maintenance codes, providing detailed descriptions of do's and don'ts on residential and business properties. City officials and council members spent more than two years getting input from residents and offering online and newsletter surveys. When all was said and done, they believed the codes reflected the consensus of the community. But did they?
Over the past few weeks, several residents have complained because city officials have sent out enforcement notices and told residents it's time to clean up their acts — literally. These people aren't happy to learn that if they don't comply within a certain period time, they will be fined, and if they still don't comply, the fine goes up.
Here are some of the questions they are asking: Is this fair, because they didn't hear about these codes when they were being discussed by the City Council? Shouldn't this code have been voted on by residents before being forced on them? Isn't there a water shortage? Who cares how much cement I have on my front property?
Unfortunately, these people weren't happy to hear the answers to their complaints. First, code violators may think the city is just suddenly trying to collect money for their coffers because of the recent shift in the economy, but the actual reason is the city was shorthanded in the code-enforcement department and didn't have the manpower to
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keep up with neighbors' complaints. It seems all that has changed now.
Some charge that the complaints are nitpicking and giving credence to silly disputes among neighbors. For example, one resident said she had a leak from a fish tank and needed to leave her carpet out to dry flat for a few days. She placed the carpet on her front lawn, and within a day received a notice from the city sighting debris in the frontyard.
An easy enough fix, except, as long as you're cleaning up, you have a few more problems to take care of.
Keeping one's property clean and weed-free is certainly one of the goals of the municipal code. City representatives say the code was designed to benefit everyone in the neighborhood.
What if you want to sell your house in the future? You can spend a fortune on nice curb appeal, but if your neighbor has junk piled high in front of his garage, the property values for everyone in the neighborhood go down.
One of the major complaints about the code, though, is that the cost of repairs to property is really low on peoples' list of priorities right now. Let's face it: The economy is getting worse every day, and cutting weeds or removing excess cement in the frontyard can't be a No. 1 goal.
Residents are also asking whether the city can give them a break for a while and reduce some of the nonessentials in the code.
That question needs to be asked of the City Council. They meet the second and forth Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall. It can't hurt to ask.
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A new business is coming to Oakley, and let's hope it is a good omen for 2009.
It was a great disappointment to lose Bonanza Industrial Supply. Cynthia Showaker was a great supporter of the Oakley community, always donating when asked. In a few months, R&B Company will be moving into her old place.
It's another industrial supply-type business offering distribution of underground water, sewer, storm and irrigation pipes and the like. Unlike some cities surrounding Oakley, this city needs as many businesses as it can get.
Let's hope seeing new life on Main Street will draw others.