Struthers council presses for clearer property‑maintenance enforcement, asks code officer to attend meeting

Struthers City Council members pressed for clearer enforcement of the city’s property‑maintenance ordinances Wednesday, citing missing reports, alleged removal of citations and a lack of a paper trail for resident complaints, and asked Clerk Megan to request that the code enforcement officer attend the next committee meeting.

Council members said the absence of regular safety‑service reports and uneven follow‑up on complaints have frustrated residents and business owners who said they must pay for storage or repairs while alleged repeat offenders remain unaddressed. “Use the forms, date them, get Megan to write down or you got a form where you hand them in,” a councilmember said during the discussion.

Why it matters: Council members said unclear procedures are delaying enforcement of visible violations — broken windows, parked equipment on grass, and trailers on private lots — and reducing public confidence that complaints are handled consistently. Several council members asked for a single, dated form and a one‑week follow‑up window so residents can track outcomes.

Council discussion: Members said the city’s safety service director was out sick and that code‑enforcement duties have shifted without clear documentation. A councilmember said past director Ed Wilds provided regular reports and contrasted that with two recent directors, including “Timmy” and “Bob,” who gave fewer updates. Councilmembers described an example on Sixth Street where a homeowner reported multiple large trailers and an excavator parked on grass and said enforcement action, if any, was not clearly recorded.

Members also discussed conflicting accounts about citations. One councilmember said a police officer told them he had issued two tickets that were later removed; another said that account came from the homeowner. Councilmembers asked staff to investigate who removed the citations and how that decision was recorded.

Requested follow‑up and staff direction: The council asked Clerk Megan to send a written request asking the code enforcement officer to attend the next committee meeting and to bring details about the software or program used to track complaints (referred to in the meeting as a replacement for “iWORKS”). “Make sure Megan logs them in as to date,” a councilmember said about the proposed forms. Megan responded, “I usually take them over,” when asked how forms are submitted.

Formal actions: No ordinances or votes were taken on property‑maintenance policy at the meeting. Councilmembers agreed to ask for the code enforcement officer’s presence at the next committee meeting so they can clarify reporting practices and the tracking program.

What remained unresolved: Councilmembers did not adopt a standardized form or a formal response deadline at the meeting. They directed staff to bring the code enforcement officer and documentation of the complaint‑tracking system to the next committee meeting for further review.

Ending: Councilmembers said they will raise the item again during caucus and requested that the administration include written notes with any returned complaint forms so constituents can see whether a letter, visit or citation was issued.