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PC CASE <br /> <br />CONSIDER CODE ENFORCEMENT DUTIES FOR COMMUNITY SERVICE OFFICER <br /> By: Rhonda Heryla, Human Resources Manager <br /> <br />Background: <br /> <br />On December 12, 2000, the City Council authorized staff to begin recruitment for a part-time Community <br />Service Officer to serve in the Police Department. Staff requested Cormnunity Service Officer job <br />descriptions and postings from other municipalities to utilize in preparing the City of Ramsey's job <br />description. Based on these materials from other cities and in consideration of needs expressed by the <br />Community Development Department, staff is recommending code enforcement activities (including junk <br />cars, parking, burning, or trash violations) be a portion of the Community Service Officer's duties. <br /> <br />Observations: <br /> <br />There are a couple of factors staff considered in making the recommendation to include code enforcement <br />as a part of the Community Service Officer's job description. First of all, code enforcement is included as <br />a job responsibility of Community Service Officers in other municipalities. Eight of the fifteen cities who <br />responded to the request for Community Service Officer job descriptions included code enforcement in <br />the position description. As a part of their job, these Community Service Officers enforced state statutes <br />and City ordinances that pertained to parking ordinances and violations, nuisance code regulations, junk <br />cars, burning violations, violations relating to use of public parks and playgrounds, accumulation of <br />refuse, and zoning code enforcement. <br /> <br />A second factor to consider is the overall safety of the employee doing code enforcement. A Cormnunity <br />Service Officer wears a uniform and is better prepared to deal with potential verbal abuse or unruly <br />behavior due to his/her experience in a law enforcement/security related field. This individual will, of <br />course, be expected to conduct himself/herself in a diplomatic and businesslike manner. <br /> <br />Staff Recommendation: <br /> <br />Staff is recommending that code enforcement duties be included as a part of the Community Service <br />Officer's job description. <br /> <br />Committee Action: <br /> <br />Motion to recommend that the City Council approve the inclusion of code enforcement duties in the <br />Community Service Officer's job description. <br /> <br />Reviewed by: <br />City Administrator <br />Police Chief <br />Community Development Director <br /> <br />PC: 2/13/01 <br /> <br />-269- <br /> <br /> <br />