The Roscoe village board voted July 1 to authorize a trial contract with Municipal Code Enforcement LLC to provide the village's code enforcement services, approving a resolution to enter the agreement at the meeting.

The move follows the departure of Roscoe's previous code enforcement officer and comes as the village seeks a steady enforcement presence without recurring turnover. Village officials approved a trial engagement for 20 hours per week at $99 per hour, with the contract set through December for an introductory period and billing limited to hours actually worked.

Allison Schwart, owner of Municipal Code Enforcement LLC, told the board the company would be the village's contractor and would provide a small team so residents and staff would “get to know myself and 1 other individual very well.” Schwart said the firm would handle complaint-based and proactive enforcement of items written in Roscoe ordinances, including weeds, tall grass, junk vehicles, obstructions and similar property-maintenance violations. “We provide contracted, code enforcement and property maintenance related services and assist with zoning or building matters on an as needed basis,” Schwart said.

Schwart described operational details the board requested: complaints would continue to run through Roscoe's existing phone number and email; the contractor would perform on-site inspections several times per week when warranted; inspectors would take time-stamped photos and maintain property files; and the firm would deliver a monthly activity report to village staff listing open cases, extensions, compliance status and recommendations.

Schwart said she would be the primary contact for Roscoe with one named colleague, Afton, assisting. She told trustees the contract was flexible and could be amended; a planned 3% rate increase would not take effect until a year and a half after the start date. Schwart also said the contractor would provide its own vehicles and equipment, which the village could use to reduce its own fleet costs.

Board members discussed hours and seasonal variability; Schwart said winter months typically require fewer hours and the village would be billed only for time worked. She provided a rough cost comparison, saying a prior in-house allocation was about $21,000 while the contracted cost at the agreed hours could be “approximately $12,000 per year,” depending on actual hours. Trustees emphasized the difficulty the village has had recruiting and retaining part-time enforcement staff.

Trustees voted to suspend the rules and approve the resolution authorizing the agreement with Municipal Code Enforcement LLC on a trial basis. The motion and second were followed by roll-call affirmations from board members present.

The contract language presented to the board calls for a trial period through December, hourly billing at $99, a start staffing level of one primary contractor plus one backup, monthly reporting to the village, and responsiveness to resident complaints routed through Roscoe's existing contact points. The village attorney and staff will finalize contract details and manage implementation.

The board approved the resolution during the July 1 meeting; the contract will now move to the signature and onboarding phase.