CC PACKET 06251996 - Laserfiche WebLink

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• Violations are noted by City staff as well as from citizen complaints, which are logged. The Director of Public Works then decides which issues warrant a letter to the owner, and sends such letters. The Director of Public Works then follows up to see whether the corrections are made. In general, we feel that this process is appropriate and needs no significant modifications. The bulk of the work session involved discussion of difficulties in enforcement of violations noted by the City, as well as how vigorously to enforce corrections. While the City does not want to be perceived as being overly vigorous in its enforcement actions against its citizens, this must be balances with the desire of the majority of the citizens who wish to live among attractive and orderly residential housing which retains its value. The Planning Commission believes that housing code enforcement is one of the few keys to maintaining a healthy housing stock as well as our sense of community pride. Therefore, we advocate that the City take a firmer position with chronic housing code offenders, and make some minor modifications to the City code to give the Director of Public Work better tools with which to enforce the existing code. RECOMMENDATIONS The Planning Commission makes the following recommendations: 1. Specify deadlines for compliance in letters of violation: Currently, this is not done in • the written notices sent to violators. 2. Specify what actions the City will take if corrections are not make by the deadline: These actions may range from City staff correcting the problem and billing the owner, to citations and possible legal action, depending on the nature and previous history of the violation(s). 3. Revise Section 1335.03, Subd. 21. to read "Debris. All putrescible and nonputrescible waste solids including garbage, rubbish, and auto parts." The Director of Public works has indicated that using the work "refuse" is received poorly; he suggests that the word "debris" is less inflammatory to residents in his enforcement actions. He also requested a specific tool for requiring cleanup of miscellaneous auto parts. 4. Revise Section 1335.11 to read "Rodent Harborages. No occupant may accumulate boxes, lumber, scrap metal, used building and/or construction materials not to be used at the residence, or other materials which may provide a rodent harborage or provide food for rodents." There are a few residences in the City which regularly (temporarily and permanently) store large quantities of used construction and building materials; this language is intended to provide an unequivocal tool for prohibition and enforcement of such storage. •