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Lexington Code Enforcement promotes Lexcall 311, abatement and cost-share programs in public Q&A
Summary
Code Enforcement Director Lee Steele described customer-service changes, an emphasis on abatement over repeated fines, outcome-focused programs including housing repairs and a 50% sidewalk cost-share, and urged residents to report issues through Lexcall 311.
Lee Steele, director of Lexington’s Division of Code Enforcement, told residents in a recorded segment that the division has reorganized case handling to emphasize customer service, abatement where feasible and programs that help homeowners make repairs.
Steele urged residents to use the city’s Lexcall (311) system to report code and nuisance issues so cases can be tracked and residents receive updates. “We definitely want you to use the city's Lexcall division,” Steele said, and noted callers receive a case number and can get progress updates as staff moves a case through Salesforce.
Steele said the division has shifted from issuing multiple fines toward pursuing abatement when that removes a public hazard immediately, and that the department is using a newly formalized training program and a staff case-management approach. He described a homeowner repair assistance program for owner-occupied properties and a cost-share sidewalk program that splits replacement costs roughly 50/50 with owners, both intended to reduce cases that otherwise escalate into fines and liens.
During a short Q&A, Steele and host Councilwoman Denise Gray explained jurisdictional splits—Lexpark or Traffic Safety handles cars in yards or traffic issues, Lexington Fire handles illegal trash burning or open burning complaints, and building inspection or zoning handles signage or light-pollution issues. Steele said property-maintenance complaints such as broken gutters or runoff that damages a neighbor’s property should be reported so code inspectors can document impacts.
Why it matters: the division framed the changes as a customer-service shift intended to reduce repeated complaints, avoid punitive escalation and provide practical assistance to residents through abatement and targeted cost-share programs.
Ending: Steele encouraged residents to provide contact information when filing Lexcall reports so the division can send updates as cases progress and to contact code enforcement officers directly when their notice includes an officer’s contact information.
