Resident alleges inconsistent code enforcement, cites business-license delay; staff says mistake corrected

At the Sept. 9 workshop, Boca Raton resident and property owner Jonathan Ungean used the public-request period to sharply criticize city zoning and code-enforcement practices, saying a staff member initially denied a tenant’s business tax license and that similar operators had been allowed to operate improperly for years.

Ungean (6501 Congress Avenue) described repeated experiences with what he called uneven enforcement and said he had to intervene to show staff that sufficient parking existed for a proposed tenant. He also criticized an apparent leniency in a separate case where, he said, a noncompliant property was given a two-year deadline to obtain a building permit rather than more immediate action. He urged council members to raise concerns with the special magistrate at a hearing scheduled for Wednesday at 1:30 p.m.

Council and staff responded. A city staff member said the specific business-tax-license incident Ungean described "was an individual mistake that was corrected." The mayor closed public requests after the comment period.

The allegation that other operators were treated differently was raised in public comment and not adjudicated during the meeting; the special magistrate process and any forthcoming staff follow-up would be the appropriate venues for formal review.