HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017-05-08 City Council Workshop PacketPPLLEEAASSEE NNOOTTEE SSTTAARRTT TTIIMMEE
AGENDA
MAPLEWOOD CITY COUNCIL
MANAGER WORKSHOP
5:45 P.M. Monday, May 8 , 2017
City Hall, Council Chambers
A. CALL TO ORDER
B. ROLL CALL
C. APPROVAL OF AGENDA
D. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
None
E. NEW BUSINESS
1. Code Enforcement Program Summary and Presentation of 2016 Code Enforcement
Report
2. Update on Implementation of Recommendations from the President’s Task Force on
21st Century Policing
F. ADJOURNMENT
RULES OF CIVILITY FOR THE CITY COUNCIL, BOARDS, COMMISSIONS AND OUR COMMUNITY
Following are rules of civility the City of Maplewood expects of everyone appearing at Council Meetings - elected officials,
staff and citizens. It is hoped that by following these simple rules, everyone’s opinions can be heard and understood in a
reasonable manner. We appreciate the fact that when appearing at Council meetings, it is understood that everyone will
follow these principles:
Speak only for yourself, not for other council members or citizens - unless specifically tasked by your colleagues to speak
for the group or for citizens in the form of a petition.
Show respect during comments and/or discussions, listen actively and do not interrupt or talk amongst each other.
Be respectful of the process, keeping order and decorum. Do not be critical of council members, staff or others in public.
Be respectful of each other’s time keeping remarks brief, to the point and non-repetitive.
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MEMORANDUM
TO: Melinda Coleman, City Manager
FROM: Chris Swanson, Environmental and City Code Specialist
Jason Brash, Building Official
DATE: April 27, 2017
SUBJECT: Code Enforcement Program Summary and Presentation of 2016 Code
Enforcement Report
Introduction
Property maintenance codes exist to prevent blight, maintain a residential atmosphere, and
promote safe and healthful neighborhoods. Code Enforcement responds to a number of issues
relating to vehicles, long grass/weeds, junk and debris, exterior storage, exterior property
maintenance, home occupations, lighting, signs and other code related issues.
Discussion
Code enforcement complaints and abatements have continued to decline over the past few
years as the number of foreclosed properties has decreased. There was a small increase in the
number of code violations in the past years but most of those have been in response to smaller
issues. We are no longer seeing the large full yard or abandoned home issues of the past.
There are still a few properties that have more substantial violations but staff is working with
those homeowners to address those violations on a set schedule.
Like in previous years, the vast majority of code issues continue to be in owner occupied
housing. Code staff addressed a few issues at multifamily and commercial properties, but as a
whole, these entities tend to address issues proactively. In most cases involving multifamily,
staff works more as a mediator between the two parties to address issues at the property.
Infrequently, staff will write orders to the property owners for violations at the tenants’ unit.
In 2016 staff responded to a large number of standard of living type of issues. These include
hoarder, sanitary, and housing maintenance situations. These types of issues tend to take
more time than a normal code violation and require a more goal oriented approach. The city
has relied on the County to provide mental health, transitional housing, and abatement support
for many of these issues.
Since 2014, the Code Enforcement Department has been working closely with the Maplewood
Police Department to foster a more united response to community issues. Many of these recent
standard of living situations have come from reports sent by the police or Fire/EMS after they
have responded to an emergency situation. This partnership has been very helpful in providing
support to both the code enforcement team and the residents who may need some help with
their current living situation.
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Code staff believes that the number of violations will continue to stay stable in the next few
years as most of the formerly vacant homes are now occupied and a large number of the
previous problem properties have switched owners.
Enforcement Matters Resolved
Number of Complaints Resolved 315
Total Number of Code Violations Received 500
Correction Letters/Citations/Abatements
Number of Correction Letters Mailed 236 (down 14% from 2015)
Number of Citations Issued 1
Abatement Fees Charged $4891.15
Re-inspection Fees Charged $375.00
Type of Complaint Number of Complaints Received Pending**
Exterior Storage 98 11
Unapproved Parking 53 0
Lawn Maintenance 74 0
House / Property Maintenance 15 2
Junk Vehicles 44 0
Trash / Garbage 1 0
Trash Container Storage 8 0
Commercial Vehicle / Equipment 2 0
Home Occupation 1 0
Miscellaneous Concerns* 32 0
Total Number of Violations 328 13
*Animal complaints fall under “Miscellaneous Concerns”.
** Number of complaints rolled over from 2016.
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0
20
40
60
80
100
AnimalCommercial vehicle / equipmentExterior StorageHome OccupationHouse / Property MaintenanceJunk VehicleLawn MaintenanceTrash / GarbageTrash Container StorageUnapproved ParkingAnimal
Commercial vehicle /
equipment
Exterior Storage
Home Occupation
House / Property
Maintenance
Junk Vehicle
Lawn Maintenance
Trash / Garbage
Trash Container Storage
Unapproved Parking
Type of ViolationCount of violationCode Enforcement
Summary
The number of foreclosed and abandoned properties in Maplewood has substantially decreased
over the past few years. This has caused a significant drop in the number of code violations
and abatements.
Code Enforcement continues to work through a community outreach model with a focus on
educating violators and including stakeholders like landlords, residents, renters, and commercial
Issue 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Total
Commercial Vehicle /Equipment 15 18 14 1 3 4 2 57
Exterior Storage 102 103 97 95 86 98 98 679
Home Occupation 15 23 17 10 10 1 1 77
House / Property Maintenance 54 38 55 39 37 19 15 257
Junk Vehicle 111 80 67 35 37 51 44 425
Lawn Maintenance 235 196 134 128 41 43 74 851
Trash / Garbage 35 50 35 27 18 8 1 174
Trash Container Storage 15 23 21 16 10 23 8 116
Unapproved Parking 124 123 123 60 50 62 53 595
Misc. Complaints 82 82 82 91 40 22 32 431
Total 788 736 645 502 332 331 328 3662
Code Enforcement Count by Year
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property owners. This approach helps the community understand what is expected for property
upkeep. Code Enforcement will continue to work to keep Maplewood clean, safe, and attractive
for the residents in the community.
Budget Impact
Code Enforcement is planned and budgeted through the General Fund.
Recommendation
Review the information provided in the report.
Attachments
1. Code Enforcement Program Summary and Year End Report Powerpoint
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Code Enforcement Program Summar y and Year End Repor t
May 8, 2017 City Council Workshop E1, Attachment 1Workshop Packet Page Number 5 of 22
Code Enforcement
•Purpose is to maintain the community and protect property values.
•Increased focus on proactive enforcement over the past few year s. Target highly visible issues.
•Still highly reliant on complaints.
•Increased work across depar tments. (PD, CS, PW, Fire) E1, Attachment 1Workshop Packet Page Number 6 of 22
Maplewood City Code Applies to…
•All properties in Maplewood. Standards change from commercial, owner occupied housing, and rental housing.
•Vast majority of code and housing issues are in owner occupied housing.
•Changing City-high turnover in houses with new people/cultures moving in.
•Many first time homeowners purchasing property in Maplewood. E1, Attachment 1Workshop Packet Page Number 7 of 22
Code Enforcement
•The goal of all code, health, building, and licensing enforcement in Maplewood is compliance.
•This is positive outreach that can lead to greater bonds with the community through problem-solving with residents. Good partnership with the police to increase neighborhood presence.
•Identification of code issues may help to identify other criminal activity and may help to suppress crime.
•Code issues seem to go hand-in-hand with other criminal issues. E1, Attachment 1Workshop Packet Page Number 8 of 22
Process
•Always attempt to make contact with the resident, tenant, or property owner.
•Leave a business card with the person with whom you make contact or at the residence/business.
•Issue a notification of the code issues.
•Follow up-close if compliant; additional actions (citations, abatements) if noncompliant. E1, Attachment 1Workshop Packet Page Number 9 of 22
On-Street Parking
•Cannot park vehicles between the hours of 2 am to 6 am on city streets.
•Simple to enforce. Parking during that time = citation
•Great opportunity for par tnership between depar tments -code enforcement doesn’t work between 2 and 6 am! E1, Attachment 1Workshop Packet Page Number 10 of 22
Off-Street Parking
•Motor vehicles (including boats, trailers, or 4 wheelers) must be parked on an improved surface.
•Parking shall not be in the right of way and must maintain a 5ft. setback from neighboring property lines.E1, Attachment 1Workshop Packet Page Number 11 of 22
Junk Vehicles
•Residents cannot store vehicles (boats and trailers included) that are;
1.Not properly licensed;
2.That have tabs more than 90 days past their expiration date;
3.That are partially dismantled;
4.Or, that are non-operational outside. This includes all areas outside.
5.Includes non-inflated tires, no tires, and other items.E1, Attachment 1Workshop Packet Page Number 12 of 22
Exterior Storage
•The outside storage of building material, firewood, scrap wood, boxes, machiner y, equipment, metal, refuse, junk, debris, brush, tires, furniture, and similar materials.
•One of the most common and visible violations. E1, Attachment 1Workshop Packet Page Number 13 of 22
Animal Complaints
•Many animal complaints come in. Citizen services licenses the animals. The MPD and the CSO address issues with dogs and cats.
•Code works to permit and enforce poultry licensing. Ver y few issues with poultr y.E1, Attachment 1Workshop Packet Page Number 14 of 22
Life Safety and Public Health Issues
•Code responds to life safety issues in all forms of housing and buildings. Unsafe conditions, hoarding, feces, rodents, rotting food, etc.
•Consists of Fire, Health, Code, and Police-Many cases come from EMS/Police responding to emergencies. E1, Attachment 1Workshop Packet Page Number 15 of 22
Spot the violation E1, Attachment 1Workshop Packet Page Number 16 of 22
2016 Code Enforcement Report
•Number of Complaints Resolved 315
•Total Number of Code Violations Received 500
•Number of Correction Letters mailed 236 (down 14% from 2015)
•Number of Citations Issued 1
•Abatement Fees Charged $4891.15
•Re -inspection Fees Charged $375.00 E1, Attachment 1Workshop Packet Page Number 17 of 22
Violation by Type
Type of Complaint Number of Complaints Received Pending
Exterior Storage 98 11
Unapproved Parking 53 0
Lawn Maintenance 74 0
House / Property Maintenance 15 2
Junk Vehicles 44 0
Trash / Garbage 1 0
Trash Container Storage 8 0
Commercial Vehicle / Equipment 2 0
Home Occupation 1 0
Miscellaneous Concerns* 32 0
Total Number of Violations 328 13
*Animal complaints fall under “Miscellaneous Concerns”. E1, Attachment 1Workshop Packet Page Number 18 of 22
Code Enforcement will continue to address community issues through an outreach model with a focus on educating violators and including stakeholders like landlords, residents, renters, and commercial property owners. The Code Enforcement team will continue to work with all departments in Maplewood to keep our city clean, safe, and attractive for the residents.
Questions?E1, Attachment 1Workshop Packet Page Number 19 of 22
MEMORANDUM
TO: Melinda Coleman, City Manager
FROM: Dave Kvam, Police Commander
Michael Shortreed, Police Commander
DATE: May 1, 2017
SUBJECT: Report on Implementation of Recommendations from the President’s Task Force
on 21st Century Policing
Introduction
Police Department staff initiated a review of the report’s recommendations in order to take steps
that will help us deliver effective and responsive service across all segments of the community.
With joint oversight of the Patrol Division, we established specific goals of measurably
increasing proactive community engagement, deepening relationships with Maplewood’s youth
and communities of color, and further improving outcomes on community problem solving
efforts. While this is an on-going effort, the department is actively engaged in a number of
projects and initiatives that relate to the “Six Pillars” identified in the report.
Background
In May of 2015, the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing issued its final report after
consideration of the input from more than 100 stakeholders and subject matter experts. The
Task Force was impaneled after several high-profile law enforcement incidents gained national
attention. The Twin Cities has also been the focus of attention following a number of officer
involved shootings. These incidents have prompted forward-looking law enforcement agencies
to review policies and procedures, assess and analyze the depth of relationships between
police personnel and all segments of the community, and increase training of officers in key
areas. For most agencies, an effective tool to gauge progress is the recommendations from the
Task Force on 21st Century Policing.
Budget Impact
None.
Recommendation
No action required.
Attachments
1. 21st Century Policing Pillars
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21st Century Policing Pillars
1
1. Building Trust and Legitimacy
Decades of research suggests that people are more likely to obey the law when they believe
that those who are enforcing it have authority that is perceived as legitimate. Nurturing
trust and legitimacy between police and communities stems from a belief that law
enforcement is acting in a fair and just procedural manner.
“Law enforcement culture should embrace a guardian—rather than a warrior—mind‐set to
build trust and legitimacy both within agencies and with the public. Toward that end, law
enforcement agencies should adopt procedural justice as the guiding principle” says the
21st Century Policing Task Force. Additionally a culture of transparency should be
promoted within agencies, a “critical” quality to ensure decision‐making is understood and
in accord with policy.
Finally law enforcement agencies should strive for diversity within their workforce, initiate
positive non‐enforcement activities to engage communities, and track/analyze the level of
trust a community affords over time.
2. Policy and Oversight
With rights comes responsibilities, and established policy must reflect community values.
Particular attention should be paid to those communities disproportionately affected by
crime. By developing policies and strategies the community/police relationship can be
improved.
In order to achieve this goal, clear policies regarding use of force, mass demonstrations, use
of equipment, consent before searches, gender identification, racial profiling, and
performance measures – among others (investigations/prosecution of officer‐involved
shootings and in‐custody deaths. “These policies should also include provisions for the
collection of demographic data on all parties involved. All policies and aggregate data
should be made publicly available to ensure transparency” notes the Task Force.
To ensure policies and procedures are maintained and current they should be periodically
reviewed, in tandem with citizen oversight measures. To achieve the aims of this pillar the
U.S. Department of Justice, through the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services
(COPS Office) and Office of Justice Programs (OJP), “should provide technical assistance and
incentive funding to jurisdictions with small police agencies that take steps toward
interagency collaboration, shared services, and regional training.”
3. Technology and Social Media
The use of technology can serve to improve community trust, but must adhere to policy
framework that outlines its purposes and goals.
“Implementing new technologies can give police departments an opportunity to fully
engage and educate communities in a dialogue about their expectations for transparency,
accountability, and privacy. But technology changes quickly in terms of new hardware,
software, and other options.”
Decision makers need to be able to identify, assess, and evaluate new technology for
adoption and do so in ways that improve their effectiveness, efficiency, and evolution
without infringing on individual rights.
Furthermore a national standard for the research and development of all kinds of
technology should be established. Key focuses of this research should address compatibility,
interoperability, and implementation. Meanwhile agencies should adopt policies and best
practices for community engagement that increase community trust and access.
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21st Century Policing Pillars
2
4. Community Policing and Crime Reduction
Having a guiding philosophy highlighting the importance of community policing for all
stakeholders would emphasize the work conducted by community residents to co‐produced
public safety.
“Law enforcement agencies should, therefore, work with community residents to identify
problems and collaborate on implementing solutions that produce meaningful results for
the community… Law enforcement agencies should also engage in multidisciplinary,
community team approaches for planning, implementing, and responding to crisis
situations with complex causal factors.”
Young persons should have special attention, as those most at risk for crime or violence
should not be unnecessarily stigmatized. By recognizing the voices of the youth in
community decision making and providing opportunities for participation this will help
promote positive youth/police collaboration and interactions well into the future.
5. Officer Training and Education
The responsibilities of law enforcement is far‐reaching, and the need for more effective
training is critical. “Today’s line officers and leaders must be trained and capable to address
a wide variety of challenges including international terrorism, evolving technologies, rising
immigration, changing laws, new cultural mores, and a growing mental health crisis.”
Meeting with those whom live within a community, especially those with knowledge in the
above outlined areas, during and after the training process can help recruits understand
what challenges they may face.
Emphasis on educational partnerships being struck up between universities and police
academies should also be put in motion, to prepare officers for 21st century policing. This
would include “mandatory Crisis Intervention Training (CIT), which equips officers to deal
with individuals in crisis or living with mental disabilities… as well as instruction in disease
of addiction, implicit bias and cultural responsiveness, policing in a democratic society,
procedural justice, and effective social interaction and tactical skills.”
6. Officer Safety and Wellness
Naturally protecting the guardians of communities is important. The support and proper
implementation of officer wellness and safety is a multi‐partner effort.
“Two specific strategies recommended for the U.S. Department of Justice include (1)
encouraging and assisting departments in the implementation of scientifically supported
shift lengths by law enforcement and (2) expanding efforts to collect and analyze data not
only on officer deaths but also on injuries and ‘near misses.’”
Agencies should take care to ensure wellness and safety at every level of the organization.
For instance, every officer should be equipped with first aid kits, exemplary training and
anti‐ballistic vests.
“Internal procedural justice principles should be adopted for all internal policies and
interactions. The Federal Government should develop programs to provide financial
support for law enforcement officers to continue to pursue educational opportunities.
Finally, Congress should develop and enact peer review error management legislation.”
From: http://www.bwvsg.com/news/defining‐the‐6‐pillars‐of‐us‐policing/
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