Property maintenance codes were the main topic at Tuesday’s work session for the town council of Winnsboro. The codes still need to be amended to include ordinances, procedures and enforcement. Mayor Roger Gaddy suggested having a third party look over the wording to finalize it.
“We want to make sure that what we have is consistent with the procedures of the country,” Gaddy said.
In order to ensure that the ordinances are being adhered to and enforced, the council has made a motion to hire a code enforcement officer. The code enforcement officer will work with both the Department of Public Safety and Building and Zoning. The code enforcement officer will begin their work based upon public complaints. The majority of complaints come from overgrown lots, abandoned cars, litter and, on rare occasions, a dilapidated home. With the huge job looming, Councilman Danny Miller said there is only one way to deal with the looming task.
“How do you eat an elephant?” Miller asked. “One bite at a time”
The code enforcement officer will respond to complaints and then conduct an investigation followed by a possible citation being issued. After the citation is issued, the case will then be taken up with the municipal court. A monthly report will be required by the town council about the code enforcement officer’s progress. Reports will include the number of complaints received, how many citations issued and the result of the investigation.
Council will hold their next regular meeting on Nov. 5 at Town Hall.