6.4. SR 02-11-2008 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Item # 6_4. ver MEMORANDUM TO: Mayor and City Council FROM: Lori Johnson, City Administrator DATE: February 11, 2008 SUBJECT: Code Enforcement Update/Plan In 2007, the City stepped up its code enforcement efforts and is on course to improve the code enforcement program significantly in 2008. Staff has been working on various components of code enforcement including meeting with prosecuting attorneys to work through the court issues, reviewing ordinances and procedures for possible changes to improve the process and provide more enforcement tools, and by dedicating additional staff time to enforcement. Senior Planner Sheila Caxtney has served as the staff lead in organizing the code enforcement program and in traixing Building Inspector Dave Hetrick to do code enforcement. He continued doing building inspections part of the time and worked on code enforcement part of the time. This worked in 2007; however, now that the system is progressing and enforcement will be more proactive, additional staff time is needed. The 2008 building inspections budget includes a code enforcement officer fox approximately 1,300 hours. Since Dave Hetrick has already been doing code enforcement, has recently taken additional training to increase his knowledge of and sharpen his skills in code enforcement, and is able to dedicate all of his time starting April 1 to code enforcement, we are recommending that in lieu of hiring an additional code enforcement officer Dave Hetrick be placed in that position full time beginning April 1. This option is available only because building activity is down substantially and Mr. Hetrick's time is not needed for building inspection activities. When the market changes and activity picks up to a point where another inspector is needed, he will transition back to building inspections and a code enforcement officer will be hired. The increase in building activity will not be sudden so the gradual increase will allow us time to identify that need and take steps to hire a code enforcement officer before additional building inspection time is needed. Based on current building activity, we do not expect that to happen until sometime in 2009. Finally, attached is an update memo Sheila Cartney that requests policy decisions from the Council on several enforcement issues. Ms. Cartney, Jeremy Barnhart, Jeff Beahen and Dave Hetrick will be at Monday's meeting to discuss code enforcement with the Council.