Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Code Enforcement topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Fire department outlines code enforcement operations, cites blight abatement results
Summary
The Georgetown Fire Department presented an overview of code enforcement operations, interlocal agreements, and outcomes since 2016, saying 20 properties were rehabilitated and 68 demolished since 2017; staff also described the use of the 2012 International Property Maintenance Code and plans to consider the 2024 edition.
The Georgetown Fire Department briefed the City Council on Aug. 25 about the city’s code enforcement program, the interlocal agreement that created a joint code enforcement board in 2016, the office’s mission and common violations, and outcomes since the department assumed the function from the police department.
Assistant Chief (division director) Chief Johnson said the interlocal agreement covers the City of Georgetown, Stamping Ground, Sadieville and Scott County and is authorized under the Interlocal Cooperation Act (identified in the presentation as KRS65.210 and related statutes). “In 2016, code enforcement moved from the police department to the Georgetown Fire Department,” Johnson said, and the office adopted the International Property Maintenance Code (2012 edition) with local amendments.
Johnson told the council the division consists of an assistant chief of prevention (director), a senior code enforcement officer (Wade), two code enforcement officers (including Greg Jewett) and a part‑time administrative assistant. He listed the top 10 violations they address — tall grass and weeds, broken sidewalks, trash setouts, vehicles in lawns, illegal signs, general property maintenance/rubbish, inoperable vehicles, unauthorized home businesses, building without a permit and animal violations — and highlighted a string of “before and after” examples of properties that were rehabilitated.
The department reported financial recovery of abatement costs through liens and sales: staff said the office budgets approximately $50,000–$65,000 a year for abatement costs and has recovered $82,000 to date. Johnson said 20 properties have been rehabilitated and released from condemnation since 2017 and 68 deteriorated properties have been demolished and returned to productive status since 2017.
Johnson said the office handles small abatement work in‑house for Scott County and that the code enforcement officers document runs and investigations in CityWorks software. He told the council that call volume and complaints have been steadily increasing with population and awareness, and that the division expects to add a staff member in December–January and to adopt a new software suite to improve data tracking.
Council members asked about HOA interactions (Johnson said HOAs are referred back when matters are strictly aesthetic), data the department tracks, and proactive versus reactive work (the office is primarily reactive, though officers perform targeted work while in neighborhoods). The council asked for the presentation slides and for future data showing run counts and investigative metrics; Johnson agreed to provide baseline numbers later and to share the deck.
No formal council action was taken; the item was presented for information and discussion.
