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Caro City officials debate tougher blight enforcement, plan code-enforcement hire
Summary
City Attorney Laura Genovich and Fire Chief Randy Heckroth told the Caro City Committee of the Whole on April 10 that unresolved blight problems — including animals, unplated trailers and vehicles, and unpaid tickets — persist. Council discussed ordinance updates, a possible forgiveness program and a part-time code-enforcement hire; interviews are scheduled.
City Attorney Laura Genovich and Fire Chief and code-enforcement officer Randy Heckroth told the Caro City Committee of the Whole on April 10 that the city continues to face unresolved blight problems, including animals on properties, non-plated trailers and vehicles, and unpaid blight tickets.
The discussion centered on several possible policy responses. Genovich presented a blight checklist and the council discussed the idea of having the city attorney send a formal letter after a third offense, updating the residential and commercial blight ordinances to explicitly cover animals and non-plated trailers, creating a blight forgiveness program, and clarifying enforcement procedures for landlord–tenant properties and issuance of blight tickets.
Scott Czasak, the city manager, gave an update on staffing: interviews for a part-time code-enforcement officer were scheduled for Friday and Monday. No hiring decision was recorded at the meeting.
Council members raised enforcement capacity and statutory clarity as recurring concerns during the discussion, noting that unresolved violations and unpaid tickets undercut enforcement efforts. The record shows no formal ordinance changes were voted on at the meeting; the conversation was exploratory and focused on options for strengthening enforcement and improving collection of fines.
Doreen Oedy moved to adjourn the Committee of the Whole at 6:30 p.m.; Charlotte Kish seconded the motion. The motion carried and Clerk Rita Papp recorded the adjournment. The council did not record a vote tally in the minutes.
The council will revisit enforcement options as staff and the city attorney develop draft ordinance language and proceed with the hiring timeline for the part-time code-enforcement officer.
