Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Code Enforcement topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Temple Terrace adopts tighter code‑enforcement escalation to target repeat violations
Summary
On Aug. 4 the City Council adopted Ordinance 1597 to add a new class of civil citation and an escalation process designed to address repeat, quickly recurring code violations more efficiently. Staff said the change is aimed at improving compliance, not generating revenue.
The Temple Terrace City Council on Aug. 4 adopted Ordinance 1597 on second reading, revising Chapter 1 of the city code to add a new class of civil violation and an escalation procedure for repeat offenses.
City Code Compliance Director Jack Shanks told council the amendment provides a definition for “itinerant or transient in nature” and allows citations to be used when short‑term violations recur. "This amendment is not intended to generate revenue," Shanks said, adding staff seeks to prompt long‑term compliance rather than extended enforcement board dockets. Shanks presented staff data showing that over a 13‑month period 129 municipal code enforcement board (MCEB) cases required board attention and estimated that 52 of those cases could have been resolved earlier under the proposed citation scheme.
Council members asked that the written escalation policy be circulated and posted online; Shanks said a draft will be provided after adoption. The ordinance inserts the new definitions and an escalation ladder (courtesy notice → notice of violation → final notice → citation, with higher fines for repeated noncompliance) into sections 1‑103, 1‑104 and 1‑105 of the code.
The motion to adopt carried by voice vote on second reading with no recorded nays. Staff said the change does not create new prohibitions; it changes enforcement tools to address repeated, short‑duration problems such as yard parking and unsafe pool barriers. The council directed staff to post the escalation policy for public access.
