You know you’ve thought about it: reporting your neighbor to Cobb County for some bogus code enforcement thing because you don’t like the way they look at you.
In fact, at least 2,000 of you have done it the past two years. And because y’all played too much, the county government had to make changes.
If you’re one of Cobb’s petty or wiseguy residents who reported someone online for a code violation that ended up being hogwash, the ruse ends Feb. 13.
That’s when Cobb changes the way it handles online code enforcement by requiring its agents to make contact with the person who reported.
“If we are not able to have contact with the individual, we will dismiss the complaint,” said Dana Johnson, head of Cobb’s community development division.
Now, you can anonymously report online to your heart’s content. But starting Valentine’s Day, you’ll have to give your name and contact information online.
For you slick types who ask what happens if you put in a fake name and information, still no dice because agents will reach out to confirm.
All this is worth it, the county says, because dealing with those couple thousand phonies was such a raw deal for residents and the Cobb’s nine code enforcement agents.
Johnson said the change came after residents who felt “targeted through code enforcement” complained, as did his nine enforcement agents who wasted time running down what amounted to neighborly grudges.
Johnson said the new system will have “a substantial impact on the individual officers’ workload.”
Code complaints range from tall grass to junk cars in front lawns.
But there’s good news if you are one of those people who has a legitimate gripe with a ne'er do well.
You can still call code enforcement staff at 770-528-2180 or visit the office at 1150 Powder Springs Road, suite 400, in Marietta between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. on weekdays to report such heinous violations.
For Johnson, it’s about doing what’s right.
“We want to make sure that we’re best utilizing taxpayer resources,” he said. “We want to make sure the county is in good shape and help property owners help neighborhoods out.”
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