The six-month old plan to allow residents to anonymously report their neighbor's overgrown shrubs or pile of trash is creating quite a work load for Belmont code enforcement officers.
Calls increased 280 percent since the anonymous tip line was enacted six months ago on a trial basis. Of the 272 calls in that time, 251 were anonymous. Only 97 calls were fielded during the same time period last year, according to a staff report.
Despite the increase of work, staff has kept up with the calls and is recommending the City Council make the tip line permanent.
On Feb. 24, the council approved the trial period to run from March 1 to Aug. 31, although calls are still accepted. As part of the plan, the city instituted a new phone number and e-mail address for people to report their complaints without talking to a live person.
The most common calls were about overgrown vegetation, trash, abandoned cars, illegal construction, noise and animal complaints.
A few people have called the line to report neighbors they have a grudge with. Upon further investigation, code enforcement officers found no problems. However, the neighbors being investigated tend to remain upset at the city, according to the report.
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