19-1498 Adopting Policy for the Engagement of Code ComplianceRESOLUTION NO.19-1498
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COMMISSION. OF THE. CITY OF
LONGWOOD, FLORIDA, ADOPTING _ A POLICY FOR. THE
ENGAGEMENT OF CODE COMPLIANCE AS IT RELATES TO
IDENTIFYING AND REACTING TO CODE VIOLATIONS, PROACTIVE
EDUCATION, AND STAFFING; PROVIDING FOR CONFLICTS AND AN
EFFECTIVE DATE.
WHEREAS, the City of Longwood has a code compliance process consistent with Chapter
162, Florida Statutes; and
WHEREAS, the City Commission of the City of Longwood has determined that it is
desirable to adopt a written policy towards certain actions of Code Compliance.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Commission of the City of Longwood,
Florida, as follows:
Section I. Code Compliance Approach. The following procedures are hereby adopted
related to the approach of Code Compliance:
Residential Compliance Approach
• Single-family areas of the City will not generally have daily patrolling and will be addressed
on the basis of complaints received (reactive).
o Where an address has two or more violations in a 6-month period, the Code
Compliance Officer will do periodic, proactive checks of the address beyond the
standard follow-up inspections associated with the initial violation.
o While the residential approach is reactive, the code compliance officer may still
take action on violations that are identified in the course of addressing a
complaint, completing a follow-up inspection, or in the course of other duties.
o Staff may elect to make an exception to the complaint -based approach where
there is a clear need to address a number of certain violations area or
neighborhood -wide.
o Single-family areas are generally defined as those within Low Density Residential
or Medium Density Residential zoning districts, or those areas having the
appearance of a single-family neighborhood in another zoning district
Commercial Compliance Approach
• The code compliance officer will complete multiple daily proactive patrols of the City's
commercial areas including the primary corridors of SR 434, Highway 17-92, Ronald
Reagan Blvd., Rangeline Road, and the Florida Central Commerce Park.
Resolution No. 19-1498
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Complaints
• Staff will accept complaints by in -person reporting, phone calls, e-mails, or by submittals
through the City's website. These complaints may be anonymous by request.
o Code Compliance issues are subjects to Florida's Public Records laws. The website
includes multiple warnings that all information submitted is a public record and
subject to records requests. Both the Code Compliance main line and the
Compliance Officer's Voicemail Inbox will also contain messages to that end.
Proactive Education
• Staff will work to provide proactive education on code issues to new businesses,
Homeowners Associations, new residents, and more through multiple available means.
This includes the preparation of brochures and social media updates on common code
issues to address potential issues before they begin.
• Where the violation is not an immediate life safety issue, and where it is a first time
violation, the code officer shall give the property owner an opportunity to address the
violation before issuing a citation.
Staffing
• The City Manager will evaluate the Code Compliance staffing levels to ensure that it is
serving the City's needs in protecting the quality of neighborhoods and commercial
corridors, while also not being overly burdensome on residents and business owners.
• Staff will seek internal solutions to streamline code compliance responsibilities to reduce
the need for additional staff, however, should staffing be needed to address employee
workload and meet Commission goals, the Department's staffing will be increased
accordingly.
Section II. Severability. If any portion of this Resolution is finally determined by a court of
competent jurisdiction to be invalid, unconstitutional, unenforceable, or void, the balance of the
Resolution shall continue in full force and effect.
Section III. Conflicts. Any resolutions or policies in conflict herewith are hereby repealed
to the extent of the conflict.
Section IV. Effective Date. This resolution shall become effective immediately upon
adoption.
PASSED AND ADOPTED THIS 1st DAY OF April, 2019.
Ben Paris, Mayor
Resolution No. 19-1498
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ATTEST:
- 4/1/z/z
Mic ell go, MC, FCRM
City Clerk -
Approved as to from and legality for the use and reliance of the City of Longwood, Florida, only.
Danie ng Attorney
Resolution No. 19-1498
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