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Item No: 3A <br />Meeting Date: June 4, 2007 <br />Type of Business: Worksession <br />Administrator Review : ____ <br />City of Mounds View Staff Report <br />To: Honorable Mayor and City Council <br />From: James Ericson, Community Development Director <br />Item Title/Subject: Review Part-Time Summer Code Enforcement <br />Position <br />Introduction: <br /> <br />The Mayor has requested that we discuss the potential for adding staff this summer to <br />address code enforcement activities in the City. This report is intended merely to document <br />the discussion rather than provide any detailed data and programmatic assessments. The <br />issue was discussed at the Council’s May worksession with direction to explore alternatives <br />and financing options. <br /> <br /> <br />The goal of our code enforcement program is to promote vibrant, attractive and <br />desirable neighborhoods; protect property values and the significant investments <br />made by our residents, eliminate blight and deter crime, support effective housing <br />maintenance standards; all for the benefit of the community at large. Through <br />voluntary compliance, cooperation, and a spirit of personal responsibility for the <br />well-being of our community, conditions that create code violations can be <br />eliminated and the program will succeed in making Mounds View an even better <br />place to live. <br /> <br /> <br />Discussion: <br /> <br />Mounds View conducts its code enforcement activities on a reactive basis, which is to say <br />that enforcement staff typically does not drive the streets of the community in search of <br />violations. Naturally, in the course of our work within the community, many violations are <br />documented by staff and property owners are notified of such violations, often times <br />informally and in person, when and where appropriate. The majority of our work however is <br />driven by resident complaints. Based on where many of these complaints originate, the <br />department may focus its efforts on a specific neighborhood, the results of which have been <br />quite positive. We do not however have the staff to expand the targeted neighborhood <br />enforcement beyond a residential block or small neighborhood. <br /> <br />To help meet our code enforcement needs, it was suggested that an additional person <br />could be brought on board during summer months to assist Housing Inspector / Code <br />Enforcement Officer Jeremiah Anderson and our quarter-time Public Service Officer Justin <br />Solberg. (Mr. Solberg presently works half-time for the police department and an additional <br />quarter-time for community development.) I have spoken to Mr. Solberg and he has <br />expressed a desire to pick up additional hours during the summer to help address the <br />staffing deficiency. This arrangement would last through the middle to end of August. Staff <br />also checked with neighboring communities to determine if anyone had a part time code <br />enforcement person who wanted to pick up additional hours. Thus far, the responses have <br />all been negative however there is interest to possibly share a person in the future.