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County consultant urges centralizing code enforcement; commissioners direct staff to develop implementation plan
Summary
A county consultant told Seminole County commissioners that enforcement is fragmented and slow; commissioners signaled support for reorganizing code enforcement under a single county agency and asked staff for a cost analysis and implementation plan.
Mike Rhodes, who led a consultant review of Seminole County's code enforcement program, told the Board of County Commissioners the system is decentralized across four departments and the sheriff’s office and that the current process often takes many months to reach a hearing. Rhodes said the county’s processes and penalties are inconsistent and recommended adopting a minimum property maintenance code, revising penalty guidance in chapter 53, rolling out new case-management software and consolidating enforcement under a single county office.
"If you don't believe that what you're doing is protecting public health, safety, and welfare when you do this, you're not doing it right," Rhodes said during the Sept. 24 work session. He pointed to statutory tools in chapter 162 of the Florida statutes and suggested using the newly purchased land-development software to provide end-to-end public tracking of complaints.
Commissioners responded with interest in the strongest reform option Rhodes outlined: centralizing code enforcement under one county agency and removing the separate lien hearing that lengthens the current process. "With the consent and collaboration and blessing of the sheriff, I will support number 3," Commissioner Lockhart said, endorsing a reorganization that would move responsibility into a single county office while coordinating with the sheriff's staff.
Sheriff Lima told the board his office supports collaboration and said deputies and long-serving code officers could assist in any transition. "We simply work well together," he said, adding that staff who want to transition to a county-led program should be allowed to do so.
The board did not adopt a formal ordinance at the meeting but gave direction to county staff to return with an implementation plan, an organizational cost analysis and proposed code changes. Rhodes said he will remain available to assist during implementation. The county attorney and county manager were asked to prepare the necessary policy and budget materials for the board’s review at a future meeting.
