Missouri City Council Members Approve Strategic Code Enforcement Ordinances

MISSOURI CITY, TX -- Missouri City Council Members recently approved a pair of code enforcement ordinances that are related policies and procedures, and will help officers in the field by streamlining the violation reporting process.

The first ordinance allows code enforcement officers to wear body cameras and to issue a notice to appear in Missouri City Municipal Court to any person who violates a city ordinance.

This notice will require recipients to appear on the date indicated, and recipients will be asked to provide personal identifiers such as name, address, date of birth and a driver’s license.

If an individual fails to appear, an arrest warrant can be issued.

“With Code Enforcement Officers now able to issue Notices to Appear and issue the notice directly to the violator, we will employ body-worn cameras, such as the ones our officers use, for the purposes of safety, to record for whom the notice is written, and provide further identification in the field,” Police Chief Mike Berezin said in a statement. “We have already seen the benefits of body-worn cameras in maintaining the trust of our community in our police force. They also protect the city and our officers from false claims of misconduct.”

The second ordinance establishes graduated minimum penalties for certain violations, such as high grass, building code violations, solid waste and recycling receptacle screening and junked vehicles. Approved violations are as follows:

• Chapter 14 International Code violations (i.e. Building Code) and environmental nuisances (i.e. high grass) –
o A minimum fine of $100 for a first conviction;
o $250 for the second conviction;
o $500 for three or more convictions.

• Chapter 30 Junked Vehicles violation –
o A minimum fine of $100 for a first conviction;
o $125 for the second conviction;
o $150 for three or more convictions.

• Solid Waste Receptacle Placement –
o A minimum fine of $50 for a first conviction;
o $250 for the second conviction;
o $500 for three or more convictions.

The ordinances were enacted, based on recommendations from the newly created Nuisance Abatement Team, consisting of members of code enforcement, the police department, development services, the city manager’s office and the legal department.

The committee, which began meeting regularly in August 2016, is charged with developing the philosophy, processes, communications and means to measure the outcomes and reporting out on code enforcement initiatives.

As part of this new initiative, staff will also begin publishing updates on the Top 5 Violations in the City. Currently, updates are being shared on the following addresses:
o 2115 South Fountain Valley Drive
o 2123 Masters Lane
o 2211 Glenn Lakes Lane
o 2203 Victoria Court
o 511 Reecewood Lane

This will be a standing committee that will continue to carry out its mission,and explore other enforcement options, such as better use of technology for enforcement, improved communications and information collection for ordinance enforcement, creating community partnerships, and developing pilot programs to work closely with homeowners associations to test and receive feedback and evaluate program results.

Residents wishing to report Code Enforcement violations may do so by downloading the iReport app on a smart phone or tablet device.

Residents may also report violations directly on the SeeClickFix website: http://www.seeclickfix.com/missouri-city/.

For updates, please watch the City website: www.missouricitytx.gov.

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