Cheney code enforcement implements patrol sectors, schedule

By BECKY THOMAS

Staff Reporter

Cheney's code enforcement officer is easy to spot. He drives around in a big white truck labeled with red letters.

Cheney residents will be seeing that truck on a more regular basis starting this month. Enforcement officer Jeff Smick will be driving the truck through each of four sectors of the city on set weeks every month.

Community Development director Brian Jennings said the new system provides more regularity and makes reporting suspected violations easier for citizens. Previously Jennings said Smick patrolled the city daily and addressed concerns that were submitted to the city.

“I think this is a far better approach than just waiting,” Jennings said. “We want to be out in the community making sure we're addressing the issues.”

Junk left in yards, lack of yard maintenance and issues relating to absentee property owners—like occupancy and general property maintenance—have been issues in Cheney in the past. Jennings said the city has a responsibility to address such code violations on private properties.

“We want to focus on those things that drive down property values of adjacent properties,” he said.

The new enforcement schedule, which began Feb. 1, is the next step in the city's efforts to get tough on code enforcement. In March 2010, City Council voted to implement a civil infraction process for code violators, which allowed the city to issue a ticket if violations were not abated. Jennings said he hoped the new scheduled patrols would make more residents aware that the city does work to clean up nuisances.

The sector-based system currently breaks the city into four parts: southwestern Cheney will see patrols the first week of each month, the downtown and college area of the city will be patrolled the second week, neighborhoods north of Elm Street and west of North Sixth Street will be patrolled the third week and the rest of the neighborhoods to the northeast will be patrolled the last week of the month.

Jennings said the system might need to be tweaked in the coming months depending on the time it takes to patrol each street in the sectors. While residents can still contact the city to report possible violations, Jennings said they are encouraged to stop and talk to Smick if they see him on patrol.

“It will also hopefully provide more connection with those individual neighborhoods,” he said.

Jennings said he expected to abate more code violations with the new system, but added that it wouldn't instantly clean up every eyesore.

“I don't think it will completely eradicate every property maintenance issue, but we'll have more visibility and more accountability to the neighborhoods.”

For more information or to report a possible code violation, contact the Community Development department at 498-9240.

Becky Thomas can be reached at [email protected].