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14 <br /> A second reason for the soft implementation period during 2013 was to allow tax office staff to <br /> work with local fire chiefs and amicably bring properties into compliance. This plan was based <br /> on an estimate of the number of non-compliance issues that existed at the time the Ordinance <br /> was first passed. We are finding that said estimate was understated, and the process of amicably <br /> working through non-compliance issues is taking more time than planned. <br /> Requests from residents and local fire chiefs have been numerous and have occupied the year. <br /> Orange Grove volunteered to be the pilot district in this project, and we have been surprised at <br /> the magnitude of work discovered. Throughout 2013,we responded to requests from <br /> predominately the Orange Grove fire chief,which preempted the need for a proactive patrol of <br /> the affected area by the tax office. Our plan remains to, after the pilot project with Orange <br /> Grove,begin at the northern end of the county and work our way down to the southern areas by <br /> fire district. Once we are ready to begin a new district, we will reach out to the respective fire <br /> chief and work side-by-side with him or her. <br /> Pervasive Issues Encountered in 2013 <br /> After adoption of the Ordinance, a letter was sent to Orange County residents in August, 2012 <br /> notifying them of the Ordinance requirements, and it provided information regarding signage and <br /> posting of addresses. This caused residents to go out and purchase house number signs, often <br /> from their local fire departments,prior to them being reviewed for compliance. Once reviewed, <br /> the residents were notified of new house numbers to be in compliance with the Ordinance. As a <br /> result, residents had to purchase a second sign with the correct house numbers, except in the <br /> Orange Grove Fire Department. Orange Grove was able to locate a chemical that would allow <br /> the removal of the numbers. <br /> A second issue pertains to mobile home parks, a top priority identified in our implementation <br /> plan. A mobile home park is defined by the tax office as at least three mobile homes on one <br /> parcel, generally. It was quickly discovered that most mobile homes within mobile home parks <br /> were addressed at the main road instead of the mobile home park road. Hypothetically, an <br /> emergency responder would receive an emergency call for 102 Wide Branch Lane,unit 3, a <br /> mobile home park. The only reference of said address was at the mobile home park entrance on <br /> Wide Branch Lane. Once the emergency responder arrived at the mobile home park,no <br /> identification could be located on any mobile home within the mobile home park. <br /> The Ordinance does not permit such an addressing system as each mobile home within the park <br /> must have identification on the lot itself, and the addresses must reference the road within the <br /> mobile home park if the road is at least 75 feet in length rather than, for example only, Wide <br /> Branch Lane. A collaborative approach was taken to remedy these issues once discovered. Tax <br /> office staff,the Orange Grove fire chief and the mobile home park owner walked the entire park <br /> on foot to identify issues. Subsequently,the parties involved developed an addressing system <br /> that complied with the Ordinance. After a collaborative plan was agreed upon,the tax office <br /> mailed formal notification letters to the owner(s)and the addressing system was established. <br />