Laserfiche WebLink
andapprovedpolicywouldgivestaffmoreofafootingwhendealingwithuncooperative <br />propertyowners. <br />Thenotabledifferencesintheproposednewpolicyincludea: <br />•descriptionofwhatacompletedcomplaintentails; <br />•requirementforcomplainantstoprovidetheirnameandcontactinformationwhenthey <br />submitacomplaintonanotherproperty.Namesandcontactinformationarekept <br />confidentialasrequiredbyStatestatute; <br />•reductionfromthreenotificationperiodsdowntotwo; <br />•reductioninthetimeperiodbetweennotificationsfromten-14daysdowntosevendays; <br />•recognitionoftheupdatedabatementprocess,whichdoesincludethenewaccelerated <br />abatementprocess; <br />•additionofathankyoucardtothosepropertiesthatquicklycomply; <br />•additionofareoccurrenceclausethatallowsstafftoremoveoneofthenotification <br />periodsifasubstantiallysimilarviolationoccurswithin12or24months.Sincethe <br />propertyhasalreadybeeneducatedontheregulations,itshouldnotbenecessaryto <br />restarttheprocessiftheviolationreoccurs.Whenthereisacomplaintbutthecityis <br />unabletoverifytheviolation,thepropertyisstillsentaneducationalletterunderthe <br />proposedpolicy.Ifasimilarviolationoccursandisverifiedwithin12months,a <br />notificationperiodcanbeskipped.Whentheviolationisverifiedaftertheinitial <br />complaint,thepolicyallowsstafftoskipthefirstnotificationiftheviolationreoccurs <br />within24months.Therewouldbeanexceptionifthehouseissoldsincethenew <br />propertyownerswouldneedtobefullyinformed. <br />Sincemanyviolationsarequicklyresolvedwithoneletterand/oraphonecall,shorteningthe <br />timelineintheproposedcompliancepolicywillhavelittleimpactonmanycomplaints.In <br />reality,mostviolationsdonotrequirethreenotificationsandpotentiallyaslongas30daysto <br />resolve.Thenewtimelinehasmoreofanimpactonthosepropertiesthatdonotacknowledge <br />thecomplaintorworktoresolveit.Insomeinstances,acitationorabatementmaybeinitiated <br />earlierthanwhatwouldhavebeenundertheexistingprocess.Staffwillstilldiligentlyworkto <br />findworkablesolutionsthatareincompliancewiththeregulationssinceissuingacitationdoes <br />haveacosttotheCityandcanmaketheviolationlastlonger. <br />AlthoughhavingaCouncilsupportedandwrittenprocessishelpful,itshouldnotbeassumed <br />thatthispolicywillautomaticallyresultinareductionincomplaintsorviolations.Nomatter <br />whatprocessisinplace,therewillalwaysbesomepropertyownersthatsimplyrefusetocomply <br />withtheregulations.However,staffdoeshopethatthisprocesswillresultinsolutionsthatare <br />implementedquicker. <br />Staffiscertainlyopentootherideasandsuggestionstotheproposedpolicy.Discussionpoints <br />mayinclude: <br />•Notificationsandtimeline.Thenumberofnotificationsandthetimegivenfor <br />compliancecouldbeincreasedinthepolicy,thoughtheproposedtimelinesaresimilar <br />CityofArdenHills <br />CityCouncilMeetingforApril]3,2009 <br />CC <br /> <br />