Administrative Brief
COMMISSION INFORMATION MEMORANDUM
VOL. 30 NO. 14
April 24, 2008
ADMINISTRATIVE BRIEF FROM GARY HOBBIE
Development Services - Neiqhborhood Services Division
Neighborhood Services Division works to solve homeowner and business issues including nuisance code
enforcement, minimum housing standards, emergency shelter grants, weatherization assistance
programs, OCCK housing rehabilitation, zoning issues, City of Salina housing rehabilitation and
Neighborhood Revitalization Area programs. The division includes one full time coordinator, one full time
housing rehabilitation coordinator, one full time and one part time code enforcement officers, one full time
secretary.
This division completed 7619 Inspections in 2005, 7732 Inspections in 2006 and 7085 inspections in 2007
including:
1515 Uncontrolled Vegetation
3371 Nuisance Abatements
109 Tree Issues
75 Zoning Issues
412 Miscellaneous Issues
950 Water Restriction Issues
1252 Violation Notices Issued
1221
100
281
1
1663
7
30
Inoperable Vehicles
Sight Clearances
Illegal Parking
Minimum Housing Issue
Addresses Inspected
Cases Referred to Court
Nuisance Inspections/Day
This is reflective of our Code Enforcement Activity over the past three years, and 2008 has been active as
well, especially with the nice weather of late. We do not plan to activate the Water Restriction Notice
process this summer, eliminating nearly one thousand service requests and subsequent notices being
sent to property owners, which may allow us to complete a second sweep area concentration.
In 2008, we are facing new issues as we have seen an increase of activity in the graffiti spray painting
area and Judy Irvin, our Coordinator, is now tracking our calls, nuisance notices and abatements for this
damage to private and public property issue. Our concern is that the graffiti artist is not the one suffering,
it's the owner of the property who has been violated and now it's our responsibility to ensure they clean
up, paint up and generally repair these nuisances. As an example, so far in 2008, we have had 1 call in
January, 16 calls in February and 10 calls in March with 14 calls in the first three weeks of April, of which
10 violations have been issued. The attached pictures are indicative of our calls and work of the artist.
You will see that not only private sheds, houses and fences are being damaged, but our public property
as well.
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Page 2
With good intentions of assembling materials to give to the victim property owners or volunteers who wish
to remove graffiti, Neighborhood Services is testing various products which may be included in these free
kits. Judy Irvin is working with the Commission on Aging and the Volunteer Connection groups to
assemble a group for a rapid response graffiti removal team.
For more information on graffiti and the national response to what communities are doing to combat,
reduce and eliminate graffiti painting, please go to this website: http://www.qraffitihurts.orq If you have
any questions, please feel free to contact Judy Irvin in Neighborhood Services or Gary Hobbie in
Community & Development Services Departments.
MONDAY'S MEETING
Enclosed are other items on the agenda. If any Commissioner has questions or cannot attend
the meeting, please contact me.
Jason A. Gage
City Manager