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From a code enforcement perspective, there are two principal types <br />of junk/debris violations. One involves junk or debris placed upon <br />developed property by a property owner or tenant. This can involve <br />junk vehicles, household garbage, construction debris, landscape <br />debris, or other material kept on the site. <br />The other type of.junk/debris violation involves illegal dumping, <br />where a respondent dumps trash or debris either on someone's <br />private property or on county rights -of -way. There are three major <br />types of illegal dumping. These are: individuals dumping <br />household trash; landscapers/landclearers dumping landscape debris; <br />and builders dumping construction and demolition debris. <br />• Geographic Distribution <br />Illegal dumping is a countywide problem. Areas such as Vero Lake <br />Estates are particular problems. Not only is the Vero Lake <br />Estates area growing at a rapid rate with significant landclearing <br />and construction activity; but a large number of vacant lots with <br />few nearby residences provide good dumping opportunities. <br />Code enforcement staff have found dumping violations in the south <br />county, the central county, and the north county. Even sites on <br />the barrier island have experienced dumping. Usually, dumping <br />occurs on vacant, uncleared properties having some kind of trail or <br />path for vehicle access. Water control district canals, for <br />example, have been used by violators to access sites and dump <br />debris. Not even LAAC proposed purchase sites have escaped <br />dumping; many of these sites have some debris that has been dumped <br />on.them over the years. <br />• Enforcement <br />Enforcement of anti-dumping codes and laws is a difficult task. <br />Unless a person is caught in the act of dumping, it is often <br />impossible to determine who did the dumping. Even when a dumper's <br />identity is known, it is difficult to prove a violation without an <br />eyewitness. <br />Regardless of those constraints, code enforcement staff enforce <br />dumping and junk, trash, debris violations in several ways. These <br />involve: surveillance of potential dumpers and dump sites; <br />analysis of dumped household trash; and citation of owners of <br />property having junk and debris on it. <br />Surveillance <br />Although not done on a regular basis, code enforcement staff have <br />in the past coordinated with the sheriff's department to monitor <br />areas for illegal dumping. Usually, this monitoring/surveillance <br />involves observation of roadways or sites. Targets of surveillance <br />activities are usually landclearers or other commercial type <br />operators with dumptruck loads of debris. <br />To facilitate surveillance, code enforcement staff have obtained <br />radios which can communicate with the sheriff's system. Through <br />this process, a number of dumpers have been caught. In some cases, <br />violators are charged with felony dumping; other times violators <br />are required to clear debris that they dumped as well as any other <br />debris existing on a site. <br />M <br />March 14, 1995 BOOK 94 PAA 616 <br />