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2. 4. <br /> CC Work Session <br /> Meeting Date: 09/24/2024 <br /> PrimaryStrategic Plan Initiative: Create a positive image for residential neighborhoods,business districts and key <br /> g corridors. <br /> Information <br /> Title: <br /> Code Enforcement Program Discussion <br /> Purpose/Background: <br /> Councilmember Specht and Councilmember Howell requested to discuss the program at a City Council work <br /> session. <br /> The current program is complaint-based. Once a complaint is filed with the Code Enforcement Officer(CEO),the <br /> property is then inspected for noncompliance and the following procedures take place: <br /> 1. If there are no issues found,the case is closed. If issue(s) are found,the CEO will try to make contact by <br /> knocking on the door or making a phone call. If contact is made, the goal is for the CEO to establish a <br /> professional relationship with the person in hopes to solving the noncompliant issue with a verbal agreement <br /> rather than sending a noncompliant letter. <br /> 2. If contact is not made, a noncompliant letter is either posted on the door or sent with a two-week to 30-day <br /> deadline to bring the property into compliance (depending on the issue). More times than not,the person will <br /> contact the CEO; at which point, the CEO and the person will work together to remedy the situation. This is <br /> typically done with an extended deadline. At this point, approximately 90%of properties are brought into <br /> compliance or have made contact with the CEO to work out a correction plan. <br /> 3. If the person fails to meet the deadline and has not made contact with the CEO, a second violation letter is sent <br /> with a two (2)week deadline to bring the property into compliance. The individual also receives the appeal <br /> process. <br /> 4. If the person fails to make contact with the CEO to work on an extension, an administrative penalty may be <br /> issued at this point. Since June 2022, approximately 73 administrative penalties have been issued. Of the 73 <br /> issued, 39 have been voided because the property was brought into compliance, 19 were paid and the property <br /> was brought into compliance, 10 have been invoiced(sent to Finance for possible assessment) and the remaining <br /> 5 are working with the CEO to bring the properties into compliance. <br /> The Ramsey CEO found that more properties are brought into compliance when one-on-one contact is made with <br /> the property owner, instead of sending a noncompliant letter from the get-go. Compliance times range from <br /> immediately to months; each situation is different, and the CEO works closely with the property owner to come <br /> up with a plan that works for them and makes every effort to solve the issue(s)without sending a letter. The CEO <br /> has made many positive and professional relationships with the citizens of Ramsey working from this angle. <br /> There are many examples in which the CEO has assisted individuals to ease the process by getting them in contact <br /> with Veterans Affairs,Anoka County Social Services,Anoka County Adult Protection, Habitat for Humanity, <br /> Chores and More, Care Resource Connection,providing housing resource information to an un-housed <br /> population, etc. Again,noncompliant letters are sent when the CEO cannot make contact with the individual or in <br /> instances where no progress is being made to bring the property into compliance. <br /> As for other municipalities and in my experience,the Ramsey procedure is common practice, minus the step of <br /> making contact with the individual rather than sending a letter. The typical timeframe of bringing a property into <br /> compliance and/or administering a citation in other municipalities is quite shorter. In my opinion,this is because <br />