Agenda - Council Work Session - 09/24/2024

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the Ramsey CEO's goal is to work directly with the individual rather than issuing non-compliant letters. From September 2023 through today,there have been 440 violations recorded. Of these, 293 violations remain open and are in the following process: Verbal: 54,First Letter: 60, Second Letter: 11 and Administrative Penalty: 26. It should be noted that our code enforcement program has evolved in recent years. Early 2022 and prior multiple staff were conducting code enforcement measures, along with City Planner duties. Since then we have had a dedicated staff person to handle complaints. When a complaint comes in and a violation is addressed, it is common for the violating property to submit complaints against several more properties within the neighborhood. To ease frustration, it is common for code enforcement to inspect surrounding properties that are near the actual property on which the complaint was filed against. Earlier in 2024, City Council expressed concern that this was going beyond being a true complaint based code enforcement program. Therefore,that practice has ceased. Today, only properties who receive a complaint are inspected and not a broader approach. Due to time constraints, staff was only able to contact Andover, Blaine,Anoka and Coon Rapids to discuss the code enforcement programs. Each of the city's has a similar code enforcement program. Andover and Blaine responded. Information includes: Andover 1. Code enforcement is the duty of the Associate Planner 2. This past year,there were 259 noncompliant letters sent,238 properties have been brought into compliance, 8 citations have been issued. The compliance rate is 95.8% Blaine 1.Neighborhood Services Specialist 2. In 2023 1,015 noncompliant letters were sent, 100 resulted in final notices, 20 abatement notices, and 6 formal complaints were filed with Anoka County. Compliance rate is 99%. Coon Rapids 1. Property Maintenance Coordinator 2. In the past year, 1,573 Courtesy Notices were issued and 720 administrative citations. They have about 75% compliance rate on courtesy notices and 80% compliance rate on administrative citations. In 2023,the program changed; administrative citations used to be issued immediately. The program changed to first issue a courtesy notice and then follow up with a citation if the property is not brought into compliance. More recently, city's are beginning to change the title of the code enforcement officer and the program. This is something the city staff and the CEO have discussed this past year in hopes to lessen the anxiety that may arise when residents receive notice from the "Code Enforcement Officer". The position is more geared towards property maintenance education of the zoning code. There are times when residents confuse the CEO for an actual Police Officer because of the word "Officer" in the job title. Staff recommends discussing the naming of the program and the job title of the CEO. Time Frame/Observations/Alternatives: Code Enforcement Program is funded through the general fund and is part of the Community Development Department/Planning Division Funding Source: Community Development Department Recommendation: Discussion of the current code enforcement program. Outcome/Action: TBD based on discussion and direction provided by City Council.