A year back on the job: Sunnyside's code officer sees fewer violations
SUNNYSIDE, Wash. -- It's now been a year since Sunnyside reinstated its codes enforcement officer. The city has worked for the past year playing catch-up.
"This house here is in the process of going to court," said Sunnyside Code Enforcement Officer Jim Rivard. "The owner is not complying with our code enforcement to tear it down."
It's a job Rivard takes seriously.
"It can be a hangout for our locals that don't want to be found by the cops," said Rivard.
Rivard spent the last year going through a backlog of cases after being re-hired. The city had no codes officer on the street for almost two years.
It relied on complaints to deal with graffiti, overgrown lots, nuisance properties and abandoned cars. The work piled up.
"Right up there on that wall, there, and around the other wall," said Sunnyside business owner Chris Albrecht, pointing to where his building was tagged.
Albrecht was warned to remove graffiti. He said there's a big difference around town with an officer back on the street.
"It's helped a lot in what the city is trying to address right now with these kind of things," said Albrecht. "They're making a great difference."
KIMA pulled the numbers and found code enforcement dealt with more than 1,600 violations the first six months back on the job.
The violations dropped by half for the first six months of this year.
The city used to run into about 50 taggings a month across town. That's now down to roughly 15.
Property owners are typically warned twice before being issued a ticket. If they still don't comply, they could wind up in court with a criminal citation.
"The city's cleaner," said Sunnyside Planning and Community Development Manager Jamey Ayling. "It's a better place and I think that's what our citizens strive for too. They want to be in a safe livable place."
It's work that doesn't stop and is far from finished but a positive step for Sunnyside.
Part of the new approach has codes enforcement working closely with Sunnyside Police to clean up neighborhoods and troubled property.
"This house here is in the process of going to court," said Sunnyside Code Enforcement Officer Jim Rivard. "The owner is not complying with our code enforcement to tear it down."
It's a job Rivard takes seriously.
"It can be a hangout for our locals that don't want to be found by the cops," said Rivard.
Rivard spent the last year going through a backlog of cases after being re-hired. The city had no codes officer on the street for almost two years.
It relied on complaints to deal with graffiti, overgrown lots, nuisance properties and abandoned cars. The work piled up.
"Right up there on that wall, there, and around the other wall," said Sunnyside business owner Chris Albrecht, pointing to where his building was tagged.
Albrecht was warned to remove graffiti. He said there's a big difference around town with an officer back on the street.
"It's helped a lot in what the city is trying to address right now with these kind of things," said Albrecht. "They're making a great difference."
KIMA pulled the numbers and found code enforcement dealt with more than 1,600 violations the first six months back on the job.
The violations dropped by half for the first six months of this year.
The city used to run into about 50 taggings a month across town. That's now down to roughly 15.
Property owners are typically warned twice before being issued a ticket. If they still don't comply, they could wind up in court with a criminal citation.
"The city's cleaner," said Sunnyside Planning and Community Development Manager Jamey Ayling. "It's a better place and I think that's what our citizens strive for too. They want to be in a safe livable place."
It's work that doesn't stop and is far from finished but a positive step for Sunnyside.
Part of the new approach has codes enforcement working closely with Sunnyside Police to clean up neighborhoods and troubled property.
