I fixed the cement mixer last night. I had let a neighbor use it, and afterwards he told me that it had quit turning if he loaded it up beyond one bag. He figured it was the clutch going bad; since I put the thing together, I knew it didn't have a clutch. My guess was right: the shaft key had fallen out, and the only thing keeping the big pulley on the shaft was a loose setscrew. A trip to the hardware store and about 20 minutes of time, and it's back in ship-shape again, enhanced now with a dab of PL400 to help keep the key from falling out.
Small victory.
I feel like I've been running for a year and I haven't had time to catch a breath, and just when I thought I'd be able to, I have newly-imposed deadlines. I'm back to being overwhelmed, having too much to do at one time, and not being able to focus. I really should take a day and plan out what I need to do, but right now I'm just scrambling to get the emergency stuff done.
I was wrong in the dates: the CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY IN REAR YARD has a due date of 19-AUG-2006, and is listed as a violation of the following codes:
229.20. Rats and rat harborages declared nuisance.
Rats and rat harborages are declared a public nuisance, and shall be removed or exterminated in accordance with the provisions of this chapter or chapter 227, article I. (Code 1960, As Amend., § 781.020)
229.50. Elimination of harborages.
(a) It shall be unlawful to accumulate and store building material, lumber, boxes, cartons or other containers, machinery, scrap metal, junk, raw material, fabricated goods and other items in such manner as to become infested with rats. Where any premises are found to be infested with rats or are a rat harborage, the owner shall upon notice exterminate the rats and remove all such harborages; failure so to do shall subject such person to all the penalties of this chapter.
(b) It shall be unlawful to deposit or leave any garbage in a dump or dump area. All refuse, rubbish, debris or trash in dump areas shall be leveled and covered with a minimum of two (2) feet of compact earth. (Code 1960, As Amend., § 781.050)
244.640. Prohibited uses.
No person shall use or permit the use of any dwelling or any building or any lot or premises in a residence or multiple-dwelling district as defined in the zoning ordinance for any use not permitted by said zoning ordinance. (Code 1960, As Amend., § 72.150)
244.690. Cleanliness.
Every occupant of a dwelling or dwelling unit shall keep in a clean and sanitary condition that part of the dwelling unit, and premises thereof which that person occupies or controls. (Code 1960, As Amend., § 74.010; Pet. No. 252271, § 18, 5-11-90)
Evidently rabbits count as rats.
What I don't understand is what "construction machinery" has to do with rat harboring. And I have not been able to talk to the inspector; she has not returned my phone calls, and all I get is her voice mail.
I think what pisses me off is the ridiculously short period of time that they give to fix this stuff. I got the letters on the 11th, and they expect everything to be fixed by the 19th. That's eight days, which is insane. 30 days I could see-- I'd still be pissed, but I could work with it.