1st Quarter WGNA Meeting Summary 1/26/18 K.Agee
Our 1st quarter WGNA meeting was held on 1/25/18 at our usual location (back of the Christian Church at 3525 Lawler). President Ricardo Rocha called the meeting to order at 7:06 p.m.
After a roll call of officers President Rocha let Officer Franey (a Neighborhood Patrol Officer for our area) reported on various police activities:
Ø The Gang Unit was reactivated on 1/15/18 due to increased activity in our neighborhood and in other parts of Garland. As usual, they encourage us to call them if we see anything that resembles gang activity. We can either call 911 or the non-emergency number 972-485-4840.
Ø Residents were interested in a recent murder at Mosswood Ct. (north of Walnut, west of Jupiter). Officer Franey wasn’t able to go into much detail about it since it charges and court hearings are still pending, but basically it involved the sale of illegal drugs. There was another murder near Broadway (not in our neighborhood) that was also of concern to our group. This happened with the past week, so it is still being investigated.
Ø Officer Franey reminded us of an on-going program where residents over the age of 65 with medical issues can take advantage of a program where the Police installs a “lock-box” at the resident’s house, where a door key can be stored. This arrangement gives the Police a way to let a rescue team enter the house without tearing up the resident’s door. There is little or no cost to the resident, so the offer should definitely be taken seriously.
After a brief period of questions & answers between the audience and the Officers, President Rocha introduced Chris Harris of Garland’s Code Department. Chris has lived in Garland for 45+ years, and currently manages a section of Code Compliance that oversees the city’s rental properties (“Housing Standards”).
Chris has worked for the City for over 30 years, and has deep knowledge of their systems and practices. He brought handouts that promoted the role of Code in preserving the health & safety of our community, as well as a program called TRAC (Teaching Residents About Code) which covers a wide range of common problems we residents face. We plan to bring additional copies of this flyer at the next WGNA meeting (Thursday 4/26/18 @ 7 p.m.)
One major change in Garland’s Code is the fact that they will no longer allow “garage conversions” for the purpose of adding an extra bedroom. It is a good idea to contact Code directly about this subject if it affects you.
Chris explained the process for one of the most common problems: vehicles parked in the street for days or weeks without being moved: When a complaint is filed, a Code officer comes out and documents the situation. Usually they either mark the tires or leave something on top of a tire. Then they wait at least 48 hours to verify non-compliance with the Code of Ordinance (Chapter 32). Next they tag the vehicle, warning them that they have a short time to move the vehicle. If the vehicle is not moved, they vehicle’s owner will be charged with a towing fee, and will also have to pay storage fee to get their vehicle back. It is a logical process, but it takes time, and is something that the person who makes the original complaint often doesn’t think about.
The subject of “garage sales” came up, and Chris explained that simple residential garage sales must be coordinated with the City, and there must be a sign displaying the City’s 5-digit code on a sign at the location of the sale. Residents are allowed to have up to 3 sales per year, but Churches and multi-family sales can have up to 5 sales per year (although they must also display their 5-digit code at the events). Attendees can photograph offending events and submit their evidence to Code if they want to put a stop to people abusing this privilege.
After Chris’ presentation, there was an open discussion, and the meeting was adjourned at 8:13 p.m.
WGNA thanks the Iglesia Christiana Bethel Church (especially Rev. Julio Danilo Estrada & wife Yolanda) for letting us hold our meetings in their Church!