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Letter to the editor

It's not too late to fix missteps with addressing

By THOMAS MACRI, Guest Columist
Published December 14, 2007

Hillsborough County's version of national E911 addressing is wrapped up in a cloak of improvement and citizen participation, but inside the cloak is the cracker version of a Hugo Chavez reformation: Never let the people think for the government.

When Hillsborough County informed North Oaks Condominiums that it wanted to change their addresses to conform to the "national E911 standard," there was a naive feeling that this was necessary and beneficial.

Conversations between residents, North Oaks board members, their management company and 911 Administrator Julio Guzman began cordial and promising. But ultimately, all suggestions lead down the same path: Whatever the county had planned is right and whatever the residents suggest is wrong.

As proof of their willingness for discussion, E911 administrators jumped at the chance to present their case at the monthly North Oaks board meeting.

But it was clear Guzman was not there to collect suggestions. North Oaks Condominiums was number 23 on his list of complexes, and he was there to ensure success with or without the cooperation of residents.

Just for good measure he brought two sheriff's deputies, the Fire Department and his boss E911 Ordinance Compliance Manager George H. King. The title "Ordinance Compliance" should have been a clue.

The county is also telling North Oaks residents they will have to pay for mandatory relettering of the buildings, about $6,000. They want to wish them good luck with changing all their documents and IDs but said they can help.

If residents go to the right driver license branch with an official letter of change, they "might" be able to get their license changed for free. Then again, they might not.

Did I mention that the addressing schemes the county proposes are more confusing than the one currently in place?

-Thirty-seven buildings, each with two street addresses and 74 sets of identical unit numbers (101, 102, 201, 202).

-Multiple duplicate addresses differing only by "street" names, e.g. 4002 and 4004 Angel Oak Court, Nestle Oaks Place and Sovereign Oaks Lane.

-Addresses that jump around in confusing patterns.

-Both four-digit (4002 and 4004) and five-digit (14662 and 14664) addresses.

What is notable about the county's scheme is that it is an interpretation of the E911 guidelines, not obedience to a commandment as it has been presented. Virtually all North Oaks' suggestions, such as one address per building and nonduplicate numbers, fell on deaf ears.

Undeterred by the audacity of those who would question the E911 administrators' veracity, Guzman fixed his focus on the newly found 17-year-old address crisis at North Oaks.

Blaming North Oaks for the county appraiser's ineptitude provides insight. It's where the E911 administrators get their mailing list with its bad addresses. Almost a fourth of their "official notice letters" were returned. What did the E911 administrators do? They stuffed the returned notices into the mail slot at the North Oaks clubhouse and told the management company to mail them.

The management company informed the administrators it was not their job. They would give them a correct list for an administrative fee. The E911 administrators refused and made no further attempts to resend the notices.

Just to clarify, North Oaks has only one numbering scheme - 14550 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. and the unit numbers which run in a clockwise manner around the complex, not "haphazard and in no particular order" as claimed.

This is the third time the addresses at North Oaks would be changed (North Oaks was once in Lutz). Three years ago the county forced us to put the current "wrong" address lettering on our buildings. That unfunded edict cost over $5,000 and was based on the same unchanged ordinance as the one of which we are allegedly "in violation."

I believe that county E911 administration is bullying, engaging in manipulation and misleading residents.

They deliberately picked unpopular names such as "Nuzzle Wood Oaks" to be rejected so residents could rename them from a list and feel they had been part of the process.

The official notice letter many residents never saw said: " ... your complex has been under review for several months, due in part to concerns by both residents and emergency response agencies over confusion with the current addressing scheme."

This contradicts what Guzman previously said, that the "three numbering schemes" were "discovered during a standard check. Concerns by residents? To the contrary, over 70 at North Oaks signed or wrote letters opposing the change; one person was for it.

The letter's assertion that "we have been working diligently with your North Oaks Condominium Association and the designated property manager to reduce confusion ... " is a lie that seeks to deceive unknowing residents that a collaborative effort is occurring.

Remember, I'm the vice president. Dee Clarke is our property manager from Vanguard Management. We the North Oaks board and the management company all agree: There has never been any meaningful degree of "working diligently." Nor is there confusion.

Believing it is never good to complain about anything without offering a solution, I'd like to send a message to the county:

-Do not mandate unfunded changes. I thought that's why I paid taxes.

-If you want to improve the emergency system, improve the actual response.

-If you expect residents to embrace your changes, make them actual improvements.

-Get your own addresses in order.

-Don't market your interpretation of E911 National Addressing standards as being absolute.

-Don't leave out parts you don't like such as " ... most importantly, involve volunteer citizens."

-Develop and enact a legitimate addressing ordinance. Do not reinterpret one that is 20 years old.

-Don't use strong-arm tactics or give out misinformation.

-Do not patronize residents with empty promises of accepting suggestions.

-Mitigate inconvenience by coordinating with other agencies.

We understand the housing market has slowed down and you are trying to stay busy.

Please refer to the Maine Enhanced 911 Addressing Guidebook for Local Governments as an example.

Their interpretation is flexible, thought out from the ground up, and involves citizen participation. I cannot find anything equivalent for Hillsborough County or Florida.

Thomas Macri is the vice president of the North Oaks Condominium Association.

[Last modified December 13, 2007, 07:57:44]