Centerville considers part‑time code enforcement officer to handle complaints and business licensing

Centerville councilmembers and staff discussed a proposal to include a part‑time code enforcement officer in the tentative budget to address nuisance complaints, land‑use and building code issues, and business‑license enforcement.

Staff said the proposed position would assist community development, public works and administration with complaint response, community education and enforcement of zoning, building and nuisance codes. Staff emphasized the intent would be a primarily educational and compassionate approach — working with property owners to resolve issues — though the job would include the authority to issue citations when owners fail to comply.

City staff noted some potential revenue offsets if business‑license noncompliance were addressed, and said the new position could take enforcement duties off police officers where appropriate, freeing officers for public‑safety work. Councilmembers raised concerns about long‑term expectations: several said they did not want future councils to convert the role into a revenue‑generation position and asked that the council and staff define performance expectations and enforcement priorities before hiring.

Staff also clarified that code enforcement activity had been included under the planner’s job description, not the community development director’s, and that if the position is approved the council would still need to review and approve a job description and implementation plan before any hire.

Council members did not vote to hire the position at the meeting; they asked staff to bring a finalized job description, enforcement priorities and estimates of costs and potential revenue offsets for a future meeting.