Sean C. Morgan
In the first six weeks that code enforcement has been handled by Sweet Home Police Department, enforcement specialist Gina Riley has addressed 147 complaints.
The Sweet Home Police Department compiled data from July 22 to Sept. 22, but code enforcement only ran about six of those weeks with vacation time and the transition period, said Police Chief Jeff Lynn. Riley officially took over from the Community Development Department on Aug. 1, but she started getting her feet wet on July 22.
Code enforcement moved from the city Planning Department to the Police Department with the retirement of Carol Lewis, Community Development Department director. Mike Remesnick, who had served as a half-time code enforcement officer, moved to full-time as building official. He had been half time in each position.
Of the 147 code enforcement complaints, 71 were initiated by the code enforcement officer. The other half were reported by members of the public.
Among them were 11 animal complaints. Seven are now in compliance.
Riley is handling one clear-vision area complaint, which it is still pending.
She has handled eight complaints about people living in RVs. Six are in compliance, with one unfounded and one still pending.
She has had 27 open storage complaints, with 10 in compliance and 17 pending.
Of 21 sign complaints, primarily garage sale signs, all are now in compliance.
Fifteen of 20 vehicle complaint subjects are now in compliance, and two are still pending. Three were unfounded.
Riley has received 41 tall weeds and grass complaints. Twenty-nine are in compliance. Four were unfounded, and eight are pending.
Under “other,” she has handled 18 complaints about situations such as hazardous trees, sidewalks and street blockages. Nine are in compliance. Five were unfounded, and four are pending.
The Community Development Department tracked information differently, and the Police Department did not have statistics available for comparison in the same period, Lynn said. The Police Department has integrated the code enforcement complaints system directly into its current records management system.
“What I’m finding, just like everyone else, I’m learning a lot about code enforcement,” Riley said. “It’s certainly opened up a whole new world. It was overwhelming at first.”
These are issues she and the Police Department have not handled in the past, she said, but “a lot of it just runs hand-in-hand with what we already handle.”
It dovetails nicely with her community service and Neighborhood Watch duties, Riley said. These are many of the kinds of complaints she hears from Neighborhood Watch members, and she already knows many complainants.
Most of her work has been education. Of the complaints she has handled, just 32 remain out of compliance. Many subjects complied on the first notification they had a problem, and some 105 are in compliance or were unfounded.
“I think we’ve educated more people over the summer about what’s OK and what’s not OK,” Riley said. At least 75 percent of her contacts, the people really didn’t know they were violating city codes.
Quite a few will call when they find out they’ve got a problem and say they’ll take care of it, Riley said. Some have seen an initial complaint in The New Era’s public safety log (which does not list the exact address of the subject of the complaint) and realized their property was the one in the complaint, prior to receiving a letter, she said. They’ve called and let Riley know they’re taking care of it.
Since the Police Department has taken over code enforcement, the source of the complaint has been shifting, Lynn said. More members of the public are calling, and Riley is initiating fewer complaints.
Riley has had people flag her down tell her what they’ve seen, she said. She still has to take a look and verify there is a code violation. At times, they are unfounded.
“Our focus now is going to kind of be finishing up with open storage,” Riley said. Now that summer is over and the weather is wet, it’s time to put away the summer toys and furniture. Open storage issues include children’s toys, sleeping bags and even couches at some houses. Tent trailers need to be moved out of the front yard. Trailers and RVs need to be put away. Lumber needs to be stacked neatly, and items kept outside must be covered. That includes carports.
Other items might include exercise equipment, trailers full of scrap, refrigerators, lumber, siding and cars – things she found stored at one location that is now nearly in compliance, she said.
That particular house will be in compliance once the residents get rid of a trailer and a vehicle, Riley said. A project car is covered. The trailer is tarped, and most of the other items are gone.
The house is a rental, Riley said, and both renters and owners are notified when there are problems.
“Usually, I get a call from both of them,” Riley said.
“They’ve cleaned up the property,” Lynn said. “Honestly, it’s an improvement in that area. We weren’t heavy handed. It was just a letter and some followup communication.”
Only a couple of residents have been hostile, Riley said. For the most part, they say, “Oh, I didn’t know.”
“Of course, you have some people we’ll always be working with,” Riley said, and “working with” are the key words.
Code enforcement is looking for forward movement and improvement, Riley said. It’s when there is no compliance and a total disregard for the city codes that it’s time to write tickets.
Riley expects the number of open storage and sign complaints to decrease with winter weather, she said. Coming up are leaves. Residents may not deposit them in the street.
Following that will be tall grass and weeds in the spring.
Next summer, she hopes to provide two more places where residents can hang their yard sale signs, which are not allowed on utility pole, city signs or sidewalks, Riley said. She is looking for a business in the east and west part of town to go along with the kiosk at 18th and Long to hang the signs. She is also assembling a pamphlet to explain all of the rules governing yard sales.