Is Brewer Siting on the Fence On Fencing?

City Law and Finance Committee Article Raises Questions

When preparing our last post, Brewer Has Sights Set On Chain Link Fences, the Sanford Herald's report on the city's Law and Finance Committee was not available. It turned out to offer much in the way of coincidental information.

For example, our post suggested in jest that this latest Brewer project was really an employment program. It turns out that the committee had been told that under-staffing was a problem. Research had shown that

"code enforcement depart­ments throughout the state were able to effectively handle about 700 complaints per officer per year. Sanford’s three-man code enforcement office got 4,000 complaints last year."

That would seem to suggest that the department needs to double and hire three more inspectors. And that is before the fence ordinance!! There goes some of the Brewer Privilege Tax money.

Guess which council member said this:

“We need to figure out how we can real­istically enforce what we’ve got on the books, and if we can’t enforce it, we should get rid of it.”

1. Linwood Mann
2. Steve Brewer
3. Charles Taylor
4. Mike Stone

If you said Steve Brewer, you either attended the meeting, read the paper, or should become one of those people at the carnival that guess what month you are born or how much you weigh. That comment might just be the hallmark of Brewer's term if he means it. It is not clear if Brewer was suggesting this to clear the way for his new "Save Sanford with a Fence Ordinance"or if perhaps he changed his mind about the intrusion of government into the private property rights of citizens.

After all, according to the Herald's report, the city attorney warned the council,

government intervention in private property aesthetics is­sues, when too intrusive, has gotten other cities sued. She reminded the council that the function of laws was to govern public health, safety and welfare.

“We’re talking about bigger government, more laws and more restric­tions here,” Patterson said, saying that hom­eowner’s associations might be the best avenue for neighborhoods with aesthetic concerns.

Perhaps this comment by Thomas Goodman on Brewer's blog made an impression that lead to some reconsideration:

By my recollection, there have been nearly a dozen people shot, another 3 or 4 murders (most unsolved), and numerous robberies in the last 3-5 months alone. Rumors are running around town about the serious rise in gang violence yet Mr. Brewer wants to focus on fences? I just don’t get it. It is the job of government to address problems, not create them. I was born and raised in this town and I talk “politics” every single day with my friends and neighbors. Not once have I every heard anyone talking about the “fence problems” in Sanford. NOT ONCE!

So, as you can see, it is hard to tell. Is Steve Brewer now "sitting on the fence?"

Maybe he will leave us a comment and clear this up. Or if he is now having trouble making up his mind, he could consult with Commissioner Jerry Lemmond. (See this post by clicking here.)

If you don't already subscribe to the Sanford Herald, you can still get the e-edition by clicking here and read the article in Thursday's edition.