Code director: outreach cuts inspections, department pursuing $2M in liens and proposing ordinance updates

Doreen Grant, code compliance director, told commissioners that proactive outreach and a letter‑of‑intent program have significantly reduced opened cases and inspections in FY2026. "Our co compliance activity report has, tremendously changed this year in comparison to the last fiscal year," Grant said, noting opened cases fell from 980 in FY2025 to 365 year‑to‑date and projected inspections are down by about 1,000.

Grant said the department has continued to collect licensing and board fees (averaging roughly $99,447 annually in recent years) and is pursuing outstanding liens. "At the moment, we have over 2,000,000 in outstanding and running liens," she said, adding her staff will present 15 cases to the code compliance board this month to seek authority to foreclose on properties that are not homesteaded.

She outlined proposed ordinance work for FY2027, including corrections to the village's short‑term vacation rental ordinance, codifying filming permit days and hours, adding a special‑events permitting framework, and creating standards for painted coverings for boarded windows so they match house colors. Grant also described operational adjustments — combining building‑fund and code‑budget professional services (50/50 split), minimizing technology costs and continuing weekend inspections to manage workload after staff departures.

Commissioners pressed the director on recent demolitions and fee recovery; Grant said property owners demolished some unsafe structures after violation notices and fines and the department seeks to recover fees through the board and lien processes. She said the reduction in landlord permit inspections has not left tenants without county protections because Miami‑Dade rental code provides additional enforcement avenues.