Leon Valley reviews code and traffic enforcement; red‑light camera citations fall as crashes decline

Councilors and city staff revisited code and traffic enforcement after residents raised concerns about sidewalk blocking, prolonged parking on narrow streets and inconsistent notice delivery for land‑use items. Several residents said they had not received mailed notifications about the antenna tower or other matters despite the city’s statements that it mailed required notices; staff said they had also reached out to the local post offices. On enforcement, staff clarified responsibilities: blocking sidewalks is enforced under the Texas Penal Code and is handled by the police department; junk vehicles and high grass are handled by code compliance. A new full‑time code enforcement officer was recently hired and staff said they expect more warnings and citations to be issued under the dead‑tree and property standards council recently adopted. Red‑light cameras: the police chief reported a noticeable drop in red‑light camera citations compared with earlier years and pointed to a decline in overall crashes since the camera program began — citywide crashes were down 34% from the start year and intersection crashes tied to red‑light locations down 15% in aggregate. Staff said the review process for video incidents still requires officer review and time; even with fewer violations, officers are needed to verify whether a recorded event constitutes a citation. Councilors asked staff to bring additional data on trend normalization and to consider future personnel placement as the city phases changes to camera operations. Residents’ public comments included support for police enforcement of parking ordinances from one long‑time resident and several complaints from neighbors about notification failures and potential interference from a proposed cell tower. Council asked staff to investigate postage/notification gaps and report back.