The Milton City Council on Aug. 12 unanimously approved a shift from complaint-driven to proactive code enforcement, authorized hiring a second full-time code enforcement officer and approved purchase of a vehicle to support that work.

Why it matters: Council and staff said the change is intended to accelerate voluntary compliance, improve neighborhood and corridor appearance and reduce neighbor‑on‑neighbor reporting. Staff told the council the program would start Oct. 1 to align with the fiscal year; the policy includes procedures for voluntary compliance and, when necessary, formal enforcement steps.

Policy details and council direction: Staff presented a draft policy and said the proactive approach would allow officers to address visible violations observed from the public right-of-way, while still seeking voluntary compliance first. The council amended the draft policy by deleting a general sentence that the staff and several council members described as too subjective—"allow reasonable time for compliance"—and directed staff to specify compliance timeframes on individual notices and reinspections so property owners have clear deadlines.

Implementation steps: The council directed staff to proceed with hiring a second full‑time code enforcement officer; staff recommended equipping the officer with a city vehicle. Council approved purchase of a Dodge Durango under a quote received by staff (the quote amount as stated in the meeting materials). Staff said they plan a public information campaign before the program goes live and that inspections will focus initially on entry corridors and other high-visibility areas while continuing ward-based work.

Council discussion and community input: Council members and public speakers urged balance: several council members said enforcement should begin with education and focus first on high‑visibility commercial corridors and major entryways so residents see quick improvements. Residents and speakers said city maintenance and landscaping resources also need attention; one resident urged the city to lead by example and maintain public property to the same standard the program expects of private property owners.

Votes and procurement: Councilwoman Fretwell moved to adopt the code enforcement policy with the single deletion described above and to authorize hiring the second full-time officer; Councilman McKee seconded; the motion passed unanimously. A separate motion to purchase a vehicle for the code enforcement program also passed unanimously; council discussed and confirmed staff obtained multiple quotes and chose the lowest responsive supplier.

Ending: Staff will return with hiring steps, a timeline for the public-notice campaign and specific compliance timeframes to be used on notices. The city plans to start proactive enforcement on Oct. 1 and will prioritize high‑visibility entry corridors while working toward neighborhood-level enforcement.