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Home My WebLink About2008-05-21 CEAC MINUTES• • • I. II . Ill. City of Englewood Code Enforcement Advisory Committee Minutes from the Meeting of May 21, 2008 !If] Call to Order The regular meeting of the Englewood Code Enforcement Advisory Committee was called to order at 6:31 p.m. by Chair Hoagland . Roll Call. Present: Chair Hoagland and Members Becker, Mosman, and Wilson . Absent/Excused: Member Bleile. A quorum was present. Ex-Officio Members Present: Council Liaisons Mccaslin and Penn , and Sergeant Contos. fJJ, Approval of Minutes There being no amendments, Member Mosman made a motion to approve the minutes of the April 16, 2008 meeting. Member Wilson seconded the motion. Member Becker abstained from voting. The minutes were approved . -Public Open Forum None IV. -New Business Chair Hoagland reported that at the May 19th Study Session, City Council discussed and approved the following two changes to the new animal ordinance. • Vicious Animal Task Force members asked for additional detail about the appeals process for the destruction hearing. • Council Member Moore requested that voice control of a dog in the front yard be approved as a permissible means of controlling an animal while it is on the owner's property and the owner is in the yard with the dog. Chair Hoagland had spoken with members of the Vicious Animal Task Force and understood everyone approved these changes . Discussion ensued . Member Mosman made a motion asking City Council to recognize members of the Vicious Animal Task Force for their service to the community in helping to draft this ordinance. Member Wilson seconded the motion. The vote was unanimous. Council Member Penn will coordinate this recognition. V. 'f] Unfinished Business a. lfi] Cost of Abatement Chair Hoagland talked with the City Attorney's office to confirm that the City can charge a homeowner with any specific expenses the City incurs in the abatement of their property. Code Officers must document time spent in the process of abating the property, and Finance and Administrative Services will calculate the actual charge which includes employee salary, benefits, vehicle costs, administrative costs, and other related expenses. Council Liaison Mccaslin advised he turned in a Council Request for this on May 19, 2008. 1!! Addition of Decriminalization or Third Track to Existing Abatement Ordinance As no definitive answer has been received, Council Liaison Penn will submit a • Council Request indicating the Committee recommends leaving the first two tracks • as written, and he will inquire about adding a third track which would consist of decriminalized enforcement. Discussion ensued . b. rfill . City Attorney's Memo from March 25, 2008 on Ice and Snow Removal c. This memo stated the City could change its policy regarding ice and snow removal. Code Enforcement officers want flexibility in the ordinance so enforcement can be administered as necessary depending on circumstances. The Committee has asked that, for the first violation, an informational door hanger offering volun teer assistance be left at the house. Chair Hoagland asked Sergeant Contos to prepare a memorandum describing the enforcement procedure Code Officers will use. iO · Questions regarding Weed Ordinance, Abatement Costs, and Civil Citations This was discussed under Items a. and b. above. Sergeant Contos advised that snow violations can now be sent to the Violations Bureau. If this is an effective method of enforcement, it was suggested the Committee consider adding other violations to this type of enforcement. d. :ljj] Enforcement of Over-Sized, Self-Propelled Recreation Vehicles Sergeant Contos informed the Committee that Code Officers had been enforcing ordinances based on policy decisions set by prior Councils, and so met with the City • 2 • • • Attorney's Office for policy clarification. The y were directed to enforce violations according to the ordinance as written in the Englewood Municipal C o de. For example, if a person has a trailer in the front yard because they don 't have a backy ard, Cod e Officers will enforce the ordinance as written and the trailer must be taken to a storage facility. As all self-propelled RV 's are over 7,000 pounds, Code Officers will not enforce the size regulation unless there is a complaint. However, where an RV is parked, registration, etc . are still all enforceable according to ordinance . Discussion ensued. VI. re Code Enforcement Monthly Activity Report Sergeant Contos provided a brief Monthly Activity report. Graffiti more than doubled from 2007 to 2008. Current weed violations are high. Other items are routine. At the annual Police Officer training in April and May, a segment on code enforcement was included to introduce officers to the basics of code enforcement. A form was also introduced where officers can check off the applicable violation and then leave a copy on the door of a property; this serves as a Notice of Violation and, if necessary, the property can then be posted. Between April 2nd and May 13 1h, patrol officers made 39 contributions . Discussion ensued regarding steps which are being taken toward improving conditions o f res i dential property in Englewood . • Sergeant Contos recently attended a State of Colorado Housing Authority meeting where 'Foreclosures and How to Deal with Them' was discussed. • Code Enforcement is now focusing on problem properties and the owners as opposed to the tenants . • Sergeant Contos and Janet Grimmett of Community Development are working together to find creative ways to handle vacant, blighted, and lender owned properties. • Through the State Housing Author ity, Code Enforcement is now able to evict tenants who commit crimes which is a violation of Section 8 rules. • And the Governor of Colorado has recently signed a new Tenant Rights Bill which guarantees housing with water, electricity, heat, roofs that don't leak, etc. VII. Members Choice Chair Hoagland IJ With the appointment of new members next month, the Committee will also hold an election of officers . This will be done at the Jul y meeting. fjJ He inquired about the buggy man, who is still working as a private contractor with participating stores to collect and return shopping carts . 3 VIII. Member Becker i ~ Expressed concern about a negative public perception which some people in the metro area have about the City of Englewood and asked how that perception can be changed. El She has concern about and requested clarification on the legality of exchanging meeting information via e-mail and/or members discussing CEAC topics outside of a regular meeting. Is there something in the Sunshine Law that says we cannot have what may be perceived as a meeting? Chair Hoagland suggested it would be helpful for all City Board and Commission Committees to receive direction from the City Attorney's office clarifying use of e-mail in communication and what situations constitute a public meeting. Council Liaison Penn 1 ~ Inquired about the status of curved aluminum storage 'tents' to protect boats or cars . Sergeant Contos advised the zoning ordinance has changed and now prohibits aluminum 'tents'. Those that were in place prior to the ordinance change, have been grandfathered in. Use of large, temporary tents requires a permit which can be obtained through Community Development. ~ He also advised he will not be present for the July 16th meeting. Sergeant Contos I _.:S if!] Will be reassigned the week of August 24th to the Democratic National Convention, and may not be here for the August 20th CEAC meeting. Topics for future meetings • Weeds • Feedback on the effectiveness of the Violations Bureau • Memo from the Code Department on snow removal enforcement procedures • Feedback from City Council on whether to alter the abatement process IX. '~ -Adjournment Member Wilson made a motion to adjourn the Code Enforcement Advisory Committee meeting. Member Mosman seconded the motion. The meeting adjourned at 7:52 pm . 4 • • •