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Crystal River wants a system to cite people - much like in traffic - who ignore code violation warnings.
By ALEX LEARY, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times, published April 24, 2002
CRYSTAL RIVER -- Seeking to crack down on city ordinance violations, officials are developing a way for the code enforcement officer to write tickets for infractions that go unheeded after a 30-day warning.
"When you get a citation, you have to pay up or go to County Court," city attorney Clark Stillwell said. "Generally, you are going to get a lot quicker compliance."
The City Council on Monday voiced support for the idea, though a final decision is subject to public hearings.
Fines would be $50 for the first violation, $100 for the second of the same code or ordinance and $150 for the third and each subsequent event. The maximum fine could not exceed $500.
Bob Lopel, the new enforcement officer, would have the discretion of writing a citation after providing a warning up to 30 days or remanding the case to the code enforcement board.
The board can levy larger fines -- $250 for each day the problem exits, for example -- but if a person does not pay, it is not always easy to collect because the city must put a lien against the property. If there is already a lien, then the city must get in line.
But with citations come the possibility of court time. If Lopel is in court too often, some argue, he would be seemingly ineffective in correcting the problems that the city wants to correct.
"That might be an extreme picture of what might happen," City Manager Phil Lilly said. "I see that as a small minority of cases."
Common code violations include people who leave unlicensed vehicles parked in the front yard, overgrown lots and boats and RVs parked in the front lawn, rather than on the side or behind a house. The city also has an extensive sign ordinance that places limits on the placement of business signs and banners.
In other council news:
The council voted to remove about $4,600 from reserves to cover a deficit in the council's travel and education budget.
John Kendall and Susan Kirk have eaten up much of the $1,750 budget by attending workshops for newly elected officials, and this summer, the entire council plans to attend the Florida League of Cities retreat, at a cost of $600 per person.
After it became known that Kendall and Kirk used city dollars to pay for hotel rooms in Ocala, some council members said the city needs to establish a policy about what is appropriate.
In the past, council members have had to pay for any expenses above the budget and some said the adding money now was bad business. But the council approved the budget amendment anyway.
City Council member Kitty Ebert suggested that the city set a target mill rate before starting the budget process. She called for a rate of 5.5 mills, down from 5.8.
The city was asked to take over the historically black cemetery off Citrus Avenue. Marjorie Copeland said community elders are no longer able to keep up with the maintenance and would like to transfer the deed to the city.
But city officials said they would first have to research various legal issues. One of the first tasks would be to determine all the burial spots.