- February 22, 2025
Citizens for Ormond Beach, a civic group, is going to focus this year on houses in the city that violate codes or need repair, and is asking citizens to help them in their task by reporting problem houses in their neighborhoods.
Rita Press, president of the nonprofit group, said nothing will happen without resident involvement.
“The city doesn’t go around and look at houses so if you have a problem, you have to call,” Press said. “We have a wonderful, beautiful city, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for improvement,”
People can report housing issues to the city or on the group’s website, cfobonline.com. Press said reports on the website are anonymous and they pass along the information to the city’s Neighborhood Improvement Department.
Information about reporting code violations to the city can be found on the city website, ormondbeach.org, Click on Code Enforcement.
“Even though the real estate market has improved, we still see unoccupied and deteriorating houses,” a statement by CFOB reads. “One of our goals is to work to improve the look of the neighborhoods thus protect the value of your home.”
Press said the city takes action when CFOB reports a code violation.
“The city is trying its best,” Press said. “If you complain they will get on it.”
“It’s been slow in coming but we’re glad that it’s coming.”
RITA PRESS, president, Citizens for Ormond Beach, on proposed new codes for housing.
The city is currently working on a revision of codes for housing. City staff got input from citizen advisory boards last fall and has been working on developing proposed new codes for the City Commission to consider.
City Manager Joyce Shanahan said recently that the City Commission could get the new codes to review by late February or March.
Some of the issues being considered are rules about overgrown shrubs, stuck garage doors and rotting wood.
Press has arranged Chris Mason, Neighborhood Improvement Manager, to speak to the CFOB group, as well as interested residents, about codes at their April 13 meeting, which will be at 5:30 p.m. in the auditorium at Ormond Beach Public Library, 30 S. Beach St.
“I hope by that time the city will have and updated code,” Press said.
A couple of years ago, CFOB did extensive research on abandoned houses, or so-called “zombie” homes, that were going through foreclosure. One of the recommendations that resulted from the project was to have codes that dealt with housing structure, rather than just grass height, etc.
“We’ve been waiting for this for two years,” Press said. “It’s been slow in coming but we’re glad that it’s coming.
Some people point out that many of the former abandoned homes have been sold, but Press said she believes some were bought on speculation and are not being maintained.
“It’s still a dilemma,” Press said. “There are a lot of houses that need attention.”
Another goal set by CFOB for this year is to have candidate forums, geared to local races on this year’s ballot.
In the 2014 election, they did not have a forum, because only one City Commission seat was being contested. This year, they are thinking of inviting candidates for office to answer questions and meet the public at a forum, even if they have no opposition.
In past candidate forums, candidates answered questions from a moderator in a debate-style format.
