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Code @ the Curb-When Clean Isn’t Enough: Buckets, Bias, and the Beauty of Accountability


🚧 It Started with Some Buckets

On May 13, 2025, I received an email from a Fort Worth Code Enforcement Officer referencing a photo taken 11 days earlier of my backyard. In the image? A set of upside-down 5-gallon buckets stacked neatly behind my fence—no trash, no debris, no clutter.

I was instructed to “take care of it” to avoid an official case.

As someone deeply committed to improving neighborhood conditions in Lake Como through Keep Lake Como Beautiful (KLCB), I took this seriously—but I also took it personally. Not because I’m above the law, but because I’ve worked hard to understand it.


👀And because I know selective enforcement when I see it.



📸 Transparency Over Assumptions


Rather than guess or argue, I chose full transparency. That same day, I:

  • Shot a full video walkthrough of the area (watch it here)

  • Logged my own inspection request with the city (Case No. 25-00282355)

  • Replied directly to the officer asking for a specific code reference—not opinion, not interpretation, but the actual law (see emails below)




📬 The Official Violation Letter Arrives

On May 22, I received the official notice by mail. It cited:

Chapter 7, Article IV, Division 3“Place all items stored outside inside a building or remove them from the property.” And Appendix B, Article II, Section 11A-26 (a)A person commits an offense by allowing accumulation of certain items on any property, including: Tools, boxes, or cartons Discarded materials Items that could attract rodents or decay

Again: No decay. No debris. Just clean, stacked buckets.





🧭 So What’s Really the Violation?

That’s the question.


Because if what you see in the video is a violation, then half the yards in Lake Como are out of compliance. And if enforcement is this subjective—delayed, vague, and selectively applied—it damages trust, instead of building it.


This isn’t about me. It’s about the standard being used against us.



🗣️ Who Gets Cited? Who Gets Ignored?

Let’s be honest: this didn’t come out of nowhere. It’s hard to believe the sudden

Is it retaliation? Possibly.

concern for buckets wasn’t sparked by a neighbor still upset that I reported her for illegally parking an RV and a school bus on the street for over four months—even after police issued a courtesy notice and education to her.


Is it retaliation? Possibly.


But whether it’s pettiness or policy, it raises a bigger issue: Code enforcement shouldn’t be weaponized.



💡 What We’re Doing About It

At KLCB, we believe:

  • Enforcement should start with education

  • Public safety is a form of community care

  • Every resident deserves clarity—not confusion


That’s why we’re launching this blog + video series to:

  • Break down common code citations in plain language

  • Share real-life examples of enforcement done right—and wrong

  • Give neighbors tools to observe, document, report, and improve their blocks


📚 Coming Up in the “Code at the Curb” Series:

  • What is “outside storage,” really?

  • How to document and dispute a citation respectfully

  • Who watches the watchdogs: creating public accountability


✊ This Is Bigger Than Buckets

You can’t build community while quietly punishing the people working hardest to protect it. If the city expects us to comply, it must also commit to being clear, consistent, and community-focused in how it enforces.


We don’t fear being held accountable. We welcome it. But bring that same energy when residents hold the city accountable, too.


Let’s Keep Lake Como Beautiful—together.


📍 Want to get involved?


See It. Own It. Solve It. Do It—Together.—The KLCB Way


🦚Peacock


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