EVANS — On any given day, Bethany Pascoe is out looking for code violations — weeds, debris, rogue vehicles. But she also gets to look for the beauty in it all. As a code enforcement manager with the city, looking for the good is a welcome addition to what otherwise can be considered a difficult job.
“When we’re out in the field, unfortunately dealing with individuals who need to understand the city’s policies, rules and regulations, I like that instead of only dealing with that, we’re also trying to keep eye out for individuals who make the city beautiful,” Pascoe said. “… I can definitely see improvements from what I saw when I lived here years ago vs. what it is today.”
Monday evening, she will get to see some fruit of her labor when she and the Evans City Council award the first Beautifully Landscaped Business Award to QuikTrip, 665 31st St. She will get to nominate more businesses for a second award to be announced in August.
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The idea was borne out of the city’s “lawn of the month” award program that they began for residents in 2012. City Council members vote on the winners based on photos alone. Winning residents get $100 gift cards to area businesses.
“We realized that some of our businesses are really working hard to take care of their landscaping, just like our residents are,” said Angela Snyder, community development director for the city. “We really wanted to honor their efforts of city beatification.”
Business winners get a $250 award, which Evans officials surmised would be the amount it would cost to put on a pizza party for the businesses’ employees.
“That kind of a reward even means something to our larger businesses, but it can mean a lot to our small businesses,” Snyder said. “We also get to put a happy spin on our code enforcement team’s job.”
Code-enforcement agents are looking for not only beauty but also those businesses meeting the city’s landscape standards. Do they have a tree every 35 feet? Do they have five shrubs every 35 feet? Are they using water wise landscaping choices?
“All those things that are recommended for businesses under our code,” Snyder said. “It’s a bonus if we find they’re using native plants.”
Pascoe said finding good-looking business properties doesn’t take much time out of her day.
“We’re on the streets anyway,” Pascoe said. “I don’t even know that it’s so much that we have to go by again, we see it when people are taking care and pride in their property, and we just snap a picture.”