Donald Simmons, code enforcement director, is trying to make the city look even better, and his job is getting easier every day. ...more

November 11, 2008

In the near future, you may want to make sure your lawn's mowed and you don't have your car gathering cob webs out front when you see anything resembling a stylish golf cart drive by. ...more

July 16, 2008

AVON PARK — The Avon Park City Council hired an attorney that will begin acting as the city's code enforcement magistrate by March. Avon Park Fire Department Chief Terry Feickert said that the code enforcement office already has 10 cases lined up for C. Parke Sutherland, a Bartow-based attorney who became the special magistrate. The new magistrate could dole out daily fines to people with dilapidated homes and other major offenders, an action the city previously couldn't do by taking offending property owners to court. "It just gives us a little more teeth," Feickert said. ...more

January 30, 2008

AVON PARK — The city's code enforcement office sent out 75 warnings to landlords for not holding rental permits since its enforcement began in December. The grace period ended last month, following the city council's passing of a minimum maintenance ordinance that gave code enforcement officers the right to annually inspect homes while also requiring landlords to get an annual $37.50-per-unit permit to lease within the city. Capt. Donald Simmons, Avon Park's head code enforcement officer, said he was going by "word of mouth" to find other landlords and rental properties in the city, since his office doesn't have an active list of residential rental properties in the city yet. His fellow officers sent the warnings so that landlords are aware of the requirement. "This is the first year this has been done in Avon Park," Simmons said. "This is brand new. A lot of people aren't aware of it." ...more

January 8, 2008