Code Enforcement Monthly. Activity Report. October Top 5 Code Violations in October. High Grass/ Weeds. Junk / Trash.

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1 Code Enforcement Monthly Activity Report October 212 Top 5 Code Violations in October High Grass/ Weeds Junk / Trash Parking in Yard Solid Waste Inoperable / Junk Vehicle

2 SUMMARY The Code Enforcement Division protects property values and improves the health, safety, and welfare of citizens by obtaining compliance with nuisance, building, zoning, land development, environmental and other codes and ordinances through effective, expeditious and equitable enforcement of the codes. The Division places an emphasis on achieving voluntary code compliance through education, communication and cooperation. In October 212, the Code Enforcement Division continued its efforts to maintain and improve the quality of life throughout the residential and business community. Over the course of the month, the department opened over 226 new cases or 67% more than last October. 78% of the new cases were proactive cases and 491 total inspections were conducted. ACTIVITY Responded to 226 new cases Initiated 176 proactive cases Responded to 41 Citizens complaints Collected $ in lien revenue 124 new high grass/weeds cases 86 signs removed from the right-of-way Page 2 of 17

3 OTHER ACTIVITIES Assisted Animal Services with Off-site adoption event Completed citizen survey June September 212 (Results in attached spread sheet) Coordinated with Police Department to correct Housing violations (occupied house with no water or electricity with hoarding conditions) Set six (6) gravid mosquito traps Coordinated the demolition of a substandard structure and illegal solid waste site Conducted 2 vacant home inspections. The Foreclosure task force ensures that abandoned, vacant or soon-to-be vacant properties remain in compliance with City ordinances. The program also ensures that properties in violation go through an expedited process to remove nuisance and blight violations to help preserve property values. Page 3 of 17

4 BUDGET The annual operation budget of the Code Enforcement Division for FY is $12,88. With 8% of the Budget year elapsed Code Enforcement is within budget with accumulated monthly expenditures of $76 or 6% of the budget. Expense categories are as follows: CODE ENFORCEMENT OCTOBER 212 EXPENDITURES Account Number Account Description Budget Month Expenses Balance % 43 3 Nuisance Abatement $8, $4 $7, Membership & Licenses $44 $ Subscription/Books/Pub $91 $ Personnel Dev & Activity $6 $ Access Fees $1,68 $76 $ Printing & Graphic Services $485 $ Code Maintenance $39 $ Office Supplies & Materials $359 $358 $ Minor Tools & Materials $162 $ Uniforms $446 $ Protective Clothing/Materials $114 $ Legal Filing Fees $1,4 $232 $772 Total $12,88 $76 $12,12 6% LIENS MONTHLY LIEN ACTIVITY Month Contractor Abatement Liens Filed Lien Releases Amount Due for Liens Filed Revenue Collected from Principal Filing Fees Collected Revenue from Interest Paid Total Amount Paid Amount paid to Contractor for Abatement October $6,976.5 $719.5 $32. $ $97.62 $4. Page 4 of 17

5 ANNUAL COMPARATIVES 35 Annual Comparative New Cases FY FY Annual Comparative Right of Way Signs FY FY Page 5 of 17

6 Annual Comparative Total Inspections FY FY Annual Comparative Proactive Actions FY FY Page 6 of 17

7 Annual Comparative Public Complaints FY FY Annual Comparative Internal Complaints FY FY Page 7 of 17

8 CASE INITIATIVE Case Initiations Internal Complaints 8 Public Complaints 41 Proactive Case Initiations Percentage 4% 18% Proactive Public Complaints Internal Complaints 78% Page 8 of 17

9 TYPES OF VIOLATIONS Type of Violation Commercial /Temporary Sign Visibility triangle Building inspection Storage building/fence violations Working w/out proper Permit required Seasonal Building Pool Enclosure Zoning violation Water restriction violations Nuisance Pool Address Posting Solid Waste Graffiti RV/ Camping Trailer Home occupation Commercial Vehicle Parking Parking in yard/sidewalk Property Maintenance/Housing Sewage discharge/stormwater Inoperable/Junk Vehicle Attractive nuisance/stagnant water Dilapidated Fence Junk/Trash High Grass/ Weeds Page 9 of 17

10 Type of Violation Percentages High Grass/ Weeds Junk/Trash % Dilapidated Fence 1% 1% % % 4% % % 1% % 1% % % % % 2% Attractive nuisance/stagnant water Inoperable/Junk Vehicle Sewage discharge/stormwater Property Maintenance/Housing Parking in yard/sidewalk Commercial Vehicle Parking Home occupation RV/ Camping Trailer % 2% 1% 2% % 54% Graffiti Solid Waste Address Posting Nuisance Pool 19% Water restriction violations Zoning violation Pool Enclosure Seasonal Building Working w/out proper Permit required Building inspection Storage building/fence violations Visibility triangle Commercial /Temporary Sign Page 1 of 17

11 DEFINITION OF TERMS First inspection: new case. The initial inspection of a property conducted by a code enforcement officer to open Follow-up inspection: The inspection(s) required to ensure compliance with a code violation. Internal complaint: A concern/objection or code violation that is brought to the Code Enforcement division attention from a city employee. New cases: A code violation that is brought to our attention via internal employees, a citizen or is initiates by the code enforcement officer. Proactive: The code enforcement officer initiates a new case/code violation. Public complaint: A concern/objection or code violation that is brought to the Code Enforcement division attention from a citizen, business owner, any other than an city employee. Total inspection: violation. The aggregate of the first inspection and follow-up inspection(s) to resolve a code Violation Type: The following terms shall mean the following but are not absolute and are subject to change or apply to other relevant codes: Address posting: Buildings shall have approved address numbers placed in a position to plainly legible and visible from the street or road fronting the property. These numbers shall contrast with their background. Address numbers shall be Arabic numerals or alphabet letters. Numbers shall be a minimum of 4 inches high with a minimum stroke width of.5 inches. Chapter 1 Building and Building Regulations, Article VII. International Property Maintenance Code Section 34 Premises identification Attractive nuisance/stagnant Water: Permitting any land area, tank, alley, gutter, swimming pool, or open receptacle containing water, whether above-ground or in-ground, or a source of water to become stagnant, foul, nauseous, offensive or unpleasant, or provide harborage for mosquitoes, flies, or other insects. Chapter 34 Environment, Article I Public Nuisances, Section Specific nuisances. Building inspection storage building/ fence: A storage building or fence that is constructed/installed with our first obtaining proper permit. Commercial temporary sign: Any temporary sign (banner, construction) installed without proper permits. Chapter 63 Sign Regulations- Article II Sign Standards, Division 5 Temporary signs, Section Generally. Commercial vehicle parking: Except as provided in subsection (d) of this section, no person shall park or store any commercial motor vehicle, semi-trailer or commercial equipment accessory to same on private property in a residential district other than in an enclosed building, constructed in compliance with all other codes and ordinances of the city. Chapter 78 Traffic and Vehicles, Article II- Parking, Division 1, Generally Section Parking of commercial motor vehicles and commercial equipment. Page 11 of 17

12 Dilapidated fence: Maintaining a fence or screening wall in a manner that constitutes a public hazard to persons or property. All fences shall be maintained reasonably plumb and structurally sound. Any fence or screening wall that is severely deteriorated and constitutes a public hazard to persons or property or is 15 degrees or more out of plumb shall be repaired, replaced or removed. Chapter 34 Environment, Article I Public Nuisances, Section Specific nuisances. High Grass/ Weeds: Permitting or allowing weeds, grass or any uncultivated plant to grow in rank profusion or to grow to a height in excess of 12 inches on average upon any property. Chapter 34 Environment, Article III Weeds and Excessive or Wild Growth, Section Weeds, grass and uncultivated plants. Graffiti: The existence of graffiti on public or private property is declared to be an objectionable, unsightly public nuisance. Chapter 54 Miscellaneous Offenses Article VI - Graffiti Home occupation: An occupation conducted in a dwelling unit that violates one of the following criteria: (1) No person other than members of the family residing on the premises are engaged in the occupation on the premises. (2) The use of the dwelling unit for the home occupation is clearly incidental and subordinate to its use for residential purposes by its occupants, and not more than 25 square feet of floor area of the dwelling unit are used in the conduct of the home occupation. (3) There is no visible evidence of the conduct of the home occupation from outside the building. (4) The home occupation is not conducted in an accessory building. (5) Any sales in connection with the home occupation are clearly secondary, and there are no sales from the dwelling. (6) Traffic is not generated by the home occupation in greater volumes than would normally be expected in a residential neighborhood, and any need for parking generated by the conduct of the home occupation is met off the street and other than in a required front yard. (7) Equipment, processes or work is not used or conducted in the home occupation which creates noise, vibration, glare, fumes, odors, or electrical interference detectable to the normal senses off the lot. In the case of electrical interference, no equipment, process or work is used or conducted which creates visual or audible interference in any radio or television receivers off the premises, or causes fluctuation in line voltage off the premises. (8) The following occupations are specifically excluded as home occupations: operation of beauty culture schools, beauty parlors, barber shops, lawn mower or other small engine repair, automotive repair, television, radio, or electronic repair and bicycle repair. (9)No outdoor storage of any type is permitted with any home occupation. Page 12 of 17

13 Appendix B, Article II - Zoning Inoperable/Junk vehicle: The parking, storing or standing of an inoperable vehicle. An Inoperable vehicle is a vehicle that is rendered temporarily or permanently inoperable due to conditions such as, but not limited to, flat tire or tires, missing tires or wheels, partially wrecked or dismantled, in a state of disrepair or otherwise unserviceable or not drivable. Chapter 34 Environment, Article I Public Nuisances, Section Specific nuisances. Junk/Trash: Permitting the accumulation or the dumping of garbage, rubbish, trash, rubble or debris, building materials, building rubbish, discarded furniture, tree limbs, leaves, household waste items, ashes, inoperable household appliances, vehicle tires, scrap metal, or automobile parts on any private property and/or depositing the same onto any public right-of-way or private property. Chapter 34 Environment, Article I Public Nuisances, Section Specific nuisances. Nuisance pool: Maintaining a public or private swimming pool, hot tub, and their related accessory structures in an unsafe, unsecured, unclean, unsanitary, or unsound condition, or allowing the clarity of the water to degrade to a point that the main drain is not visible from the water surface in normal lighting conditions. Chapter 34 Environment, Article I Public Nuisances, Section Specific nuisances. Parking in yard/sidewalk: The parking, standing or storage of any vehicle in the front yard, rear yard, side yard adjacent to a street or side yard. The parking, standing or storage of any vehicle across or upon any public sidewalk intended for pedestrian use. Chapter 34 Environment, Article I Public Nuisances, Section Specific nuisances. Pool enclosure: Every outdoor swimming pool in the city shall be enclosed or completely surrounded by a fence or wall as required. Outdoor swimming pool fences or walls shall be not less than four feet in height, which shall be so constructed as not to have openings, holes or gaps larger than four inches in any dimension except for doors and gates; and if a picket fence is erected or maintained, the horizontal spacing between pickets shall not exceed four inches. A dwelling house, or accessory building, may be used as part of such enclosure. All gates or doors opening through such enclosure shall be equipped with a self-closing and self-latching device for keeping the gate or door securely closed at all times when not in actual use, except that the door of any dwelling or accessory building which forms a part of the enclosure need not be so equipped. Chapter 1 Building and Building Regulations, Article XI. - Swimming pools Property maintenance/housing: All existing residential and nonresidential structures and all existing premises and constitute minimum requirements and standards for premises, structures, equipment and facilities for light, ventilation, space, heating, sanitation, protection from the elements, life safety, safety from fire and other hazards, and for safe and sanitary maintenance; the responsibility of owners, operators and occupants; the occupancy of existing structures and premises, and for administration, enforcement and penalties. The intent is to ensure public health, safety and welfare insofar as they are affected by the continued occupancy and maintenance of structures and premises. Existing structures and premises that do not comply with these provisions shall be altered or repaired to provide a minimum level of health and safety as required herein. Chapter 1 Building and Building Regulations, Article VII. International Property Maintenance Code Right-of-way (ROW) sign: Signs attached to utility poles or other surfaces which are not the properties of the utility or which serve a public purpose and are located within a public right-of-way Page 13 of 17

14 or easement. Chapter 63 Sign Regulations- Article I In General, Division 2 Administration, Section Prohibited signs. RV/ Camping Trailer: Camping trailers parked on residential lots shall in no way be utilized for living quarters or office space. The connection of any utility to said camping trailer on any residential lot shall constitute prima facie evidence that said trailer is being utilized as living quarters or office space, and upon a determination by the city manager, the city manager shall be empowered to order the immediate removal of said camping trailer from the premises. Chapter 5 - Manufactured Homes and Trailers, Article I. - In General, Sec Parking of camping trailer on or in front of residential lot. Seasonal building: Seasonal uses for farmers markets snow cone stands remains open or does not remove the temporary building within the specified time between April 1st and October 31st. Appendix B- Zoning Article V.- Supplemental regulations Sewage discharge/stormwater: Discharging of any sewage waste directly or indirectly onto the ground or into any stream, creek, waterway or other body of water. Chapter 34 Environment, Article I Public Nuisances, Section Specific nuisances. Solid waste: An occupant of a residential unit shall not allow garbage contained as designated herein to remain at curbside or on or near a common property line for a period longer than 12 hours prior to the start of solid waste operations on the next collection date, regardless of the reason. It shall be the responsibility of the occupant of a residential unit to retrieve and store said garbage until the next appropriate pickup or collection date, at which time it may be returned to the designated collection point. Chapter 82- Utilities, Article III. Solid Waste collection Visibility triangle: An obstruction by permanent or temporary objects in an area located at the intersection of a public street with another public street, a driveway, an access easement or an alley, which must remain unobstructed at heights between two and seven feet above ground level or top of curb, whichever is more critical. Water restriction: A person commits an offense if he knowingly makes, causes or permits a use of water contrary to the measures implemented by the city manager, or his/her duly appointed representative, as prescribed in the water shortage plan. Chapter 82- Utilities Working without permit: A person commits an offense if they construct a structure, install plumbing, electrical work or any other construction work that requires a permit without first obtaining a permit. Chapter 1 Building and Building Regulations Zoning: All land, buildings, structures, or appurtenances thereon located within the city which are hereafter occupied, used, erected, altered or converted shall be used, placed and erected in conformance with the zoning regulations prescribed for the zoning district in which such land or building is located. Appendix B, Article II - Zoning Page 14 of 17

15 CODE ENFORCEMENT SURVEY RESULTS Page 15 of 17

16 CODE ENFORCEMENT SURVEY RESULTS Page 16 of 17

17 CODE ENFORCEMENT SURVEY RESULTS Page 17 of 17