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CC Worksession Minutes 5.1.07 <br />2) Nuisance Ordinance /Administrative Penalties <br />Ass't Community Development Dir/HRA Executive Dir. Frolik reviewed that in the past, <br />Council and staff have discussed looking into procedures that would make the code <br />enforcement efforts more efficient and effective. One of the options is implementing an <br />administrative hearing process to resolve code violation issues more expeditiously than <br />the court system. Another option is to implement a City - initiated abatement program. <br />Ms: Frolik stated Councilrnembers Look and Dehen, <br />Chief Way, Environmental <br />Coordinator .Anderson and she visited the City of Coon Rapids, which has an abatement <br />program and an administrative program. The abatement program utilized by Coon <br />Rapids allows a certain timeframe for remedy if a notice is received of a code violation. <br />If there is no remedy in that timeframe notice is sent that allows the City to enter the <br />property, and abate the nuisance, which is billed to the property owner. If there is contest <br />by the property owner it proceeds to a hearing by the administrative officer. Coon Rapids <br />has designated their Board of Adjustment as the hearing officer. 'Ms. Frolik indicated <br />Council could consider utilizing one or both of these programs. <br />Councilmember Dehen stated as he recalls the Coon Rapids abatement of public nuisance <br />ordinance initially included the hearing officer. They determined it was more economical <br />to use one of their boards, so they designated the Board of Adjustment as the <br />administrative hearing officer. The City of Ramsey could theilBoard of Reviewh or <br />determine for this purpose, such as the Planning Commission, <br />is <br />appointing a new board. Coon Rapids had ind icated it is very sort of <br />heard. Of the 991 code enforcement cases op ened in 2006, l <br />abatement, and only 3 of the cases were appealed to the City Council. The City Council <br />decision can be appealed to the district court, which has not been done in Coon Rapids. <br />Councilmember Dehen reviewed the procedure used in Coon Rapids. If a complaint is <br />received the code enforcement officer visits the property to verify the code violation. <br />After this a notice of violation is sent to the property owner stating it needs to be cleaned <br />up within 20 days, and if not the City will be conducting the clean-up. Coon Rapids does <br />not charge anything for this part of the process. His feeling is that he would like to see <br />Ramsey have some sort of staff fee for the process of going to the property and writing <br />the violation. Councilmember Dehen stated with the Coon Rapids program if the clean- <br />up needs to be done by the city W er the ode enforcement pe�son <br />particularly problematic property feels there might be <br />some volatility they bring a police officer with them. <br />City Attorney Goodrich indicated the property owner has the option of paying for the <br />clean-up or having it assessed onto their taxes. <br />Ass't Community Development Dir/HRA Executive Dir. Frolik advised an abatement <br />program would need to include a budget that would take into account the clean-up cost <br />being assessed to property owners' taxes and not being collected for several years. In <br />—195— <br />