Planning staff report large backlog of active code cases and limited demolition funds

Samantha Graves, a planning department staffer, provided the committee with an updated inventory of active cases and how the department is processing them. She said staff had been closing and reopening cases to address backlog after turnover and that the current counts reflect active cases the department has a file on. For example, Graves reported 264 active cases in Ward 1 and 258 in Ward 2, and cautioned that counts shifted during the meeting as staff reconciled records.

Graves outlined the enforcement sequence: staff inspect and take photographs, attempt owner contact, pursue environmental administrative court to secure compliance, move to administrative court if necessary, send statements of cost or payment-plan offers, and place liens when owners do not pay. She said many demolition-stage properties are delinquent on property taxes and often proceed to the state if taxes are unpaid.

The committee reviewed budget figures for demolition and related community-improvement work. Staff reported the Highway 80 corridor state funds are depleted; District 71 funds had about $9,247 available pending approval; general demolition funds stood at $42,463; commercial demolition funds at $1,114,825; and grass-and-weeds funds at $22,400. Brown said the department was pursuing a possible HUD reallocation of about $800,000 and discussing purchasing equipment so the city can perform more cleanups directly rather than relying solely on contractors.

Members pressed for clearer, ward-level reporting and faster enforcement for nuisance issues such as parking in yards and illegal dumping. Several members also urged revising tickets and ordinances to give code enforcement more teeth and suggested restoring the illegal dumping unit.