Code Compliance Overview City Council On-Boarding Briefing Kris Sweckard, Director June 2015

Overview Mission Statement To enhance the quality of life for Dallas residents by fostering clean, code compliant neighborhoods Code Compliance is a General Fund supported department with an FY14-15 budget of $35.4M and 450 employees Functions are organized into five major divisions Neighborhood Code Nuisance Abatement Animal Services Transportation Regulation Consumer Health 2

Overview

Neighborhood Code Division Ben Collins, Assistant Director Neighborhood Code Districts Operations decentralized in September 2008 to develop neighborhood-based operations, improve community outreach Operations conducted out of 7 Code Districts that are aligned with the police districts Northwest (NW), North Central (NC), Northeast (NE), Southeast (SE), South Central (SC), Southwest (SW) and Central (C) Neighborhood Code Representatives (NCR) are assigned in each district as liaisons to community groups and individuals to resolve issues Includes multi-tenant inspections program Annual registration and scheduled, graded license inspections at approximately 3,200 multi-tenant properties 5

Neighborhood Code Division Additional Programs Community Prosecution and Code Litigation Code Inspectors assigned to the City Attorney’s Office to support Community Prosecution program and code litigation for minimum housing standards Boarding Home Inspection Program Licensing and Inspection of Boarding Home Facilities Demolition contract Supports court-ordered abatement of substandard structures Consumer Protection Permitting for code-regulated businesses (motor vehicle, electronic, wood vendors, and scrap tire vendors) Single-Use Bags New ordinance took effect January 1, 2015, for environmental fee of $0.05 per single-use carryout bag Neighborhood Investment Program (NIP) and Support Abatement Forfeiture and Enforcement (SAFE) CDBG funded programs for enhanced enforcement in specified areas 6

Nuisance Abatement Thomas Varghese, Assistant Director Nuisance Abatement Division includes: Mow/Clean When owner fails to comply with Notices of Violation (NOV), staff: Mows and clears vegetation in violation Collects and removes litter Secures open and vacant structures Places liens on property for costs of abatement Graffiti abatement Environmental health and safety Fleet Services 7

Dallas Animal Services Jody Jones – Senior Program Manager Animal Services Division provides care and control of animals through enforcement of City Code Chapter 7, Animals, and Texas Rabies Control Act Operations based at Dallas Animal Services and Adoption Center at 1818 N. Westmoreland (I-30 and Westmoreland) 8

Dallas Animal Services Field Services Receives over 48,000 service requests annually (average of 132 per day) Write citations and assists citizens with compliance issues through education and resources Answers priority calls 24/7 Perform weekly Smart Sweeps in target areas of high call volume Medical Services Responsible for the care of over 500 animals per day Perform surgical sterilization, intake and adoption exams, clinical care and forensic exams Shelter Services Open to the public 7 days a week and serves an average of 300 customers per day Care for over 500 animals per day with an average intake of 75 animals per day Perform adoption, lost and found, transfer and owner surrender services saving over 12,000 lives per year 9

Transportation Regulation Thomas Varghese, Assistant Director Operations based at 3131 Dawson Street Permit and regulate for-hire, ground transportation services, including: Taxicabs, Limousines, Shuttles Transportation networking companies (ex: Uber, Lyft) Non-motorized, horse-drawn carriages and pedi-cabs Transfer Ambulances Emergency Wreckers for police tows Motor Vehicle Tow 10

Consumer Health Janette Weedon, Assistant Director Operations based at 7901 Goforth Road Annual registration, inspections, education, and other permitting for food vending Mosquito Abatement Vector control program that tests for mosquito-borne diseases and provides treatment 11

Administration Janette Weedon, Assistant Director Budget development and monitoring Centralized revenue and collections $10.5M total revenues budgeted for FY14-15 Code Academy Quality Management System ISO 9001 certified since December 2009

Common Code Violations High weeds Weeds, grass and other wild vegetation must be kept cut at 12 inches or less This applies to front, side, backyard, parkway and the resident’s half of the alley Notices of Violation (NOV) allow owners 10 days to comply Non-compliance may result in citations and abatement/liens by city crews 13

Common Code Violations Litter and illegal dumping May include household garbage or larger items Notices of Violation (NOV) allow owners 10 days to comply Non-compliance may result in citations and abatement/liens by city crews City Marshal’s Office (Court & Detention Services) takes enforcement action when evidence identifying the source of illegal dumping is identified 14

Common Code Violations Brush Collection/Bulky Trash Monthly collection by Sanitation Services for large refuse items, including: Tree limbs, shrubbery, bagged leaves, furniture, appliances, etc. Items must be placed out for collection no earlier than 7 a.m. on the Thursday preceding the designated collection week and no later than 7 a.m. the Monday of the designated collection week Code may issue citations for late or early set-outs and other violations 15

Common Code Violations Overgrown Vegetation Shrubs, trees and other vegetation obstructing sidewalk, parkway and alley Overgrown vegetation consists of anything that grows past the property line, unless the lowest point projecting in that space is 15 feet or higher above ground Notices of Violation (NOV) allow owners 10 days to comply Non-compliance may result in citations and abatement/liens by city crews 16

Common Code Violations Outside storage Outside placement of any items not designed for long-term outdoor storage Cannot remain outdoors over 24 hours Notices of Violation (NOV) allow owners 10 days to comply Non-compliance may result in citations and abatement/liens by city crews 17

Common Code Violations Parking on unapproved surfaces No motor vehicle should be stopped, parked or maneuvered on a lot including the front, side and back yard, unless the surface is made of concrete, asphalt or gravel with 6 inches of thickness There is no warning for this violation, and parking citations are issued immediately and every 24 hours for as long as the violation remains 18

Common Code Violations Junk Motor Vehicles Vehicle that remains inoperable and without current registration and/or inspection decals on private property Per State Law, owners are given 30 days to prove a vehicle is operable Failure to comply may result in court-ordered seizure and disposal of the vehicle by the City 19

Common Code Violations Graffiti Any marking, inscription, drawing made on public or private property without owner permission Property owners may sign consent form and authorize the City to paint over the graffiti at no cost to owner 20

Common Code Violations Illegal garbage container placement Refuse containers must be removed by 8 a.m. of the day following collection Container must be placed either at the side or rear of the residence until the proper time for placement Notices of Violation (NOV) allow owners 10 days to comply Non-compliance may result in citations 21

Common Code Violations Substandard Structures Substandard structures are reasonably dangerous to the physical health or safety of an occupant or others, or are in a state of disrepair that could cause injury, harm or inconvenience to a considerable portion of the community in the use and enjoyment of the property Peeling paint, leaking roof, electrical and plumbing problems, holes in the wall, floor and ceiling, and decayed wood are common violations Notices of Violation (NOV) allow owners adequate time to comply Non-compliance may result in citations and litigation through the City Attorney’s Office for court-ordered repair or demolition 22

Common Code Violations Open, vacant structures An owner must keep the doors and windows of a vacant structure securely closed to prevent unauthorized entry When a property is found unsecured, the owner is given 48 hours’ notice to comply Non-compliance may result in citations and abatement/liens by city crews 23

Common Code Violations Garage Sales Residents may have two (2) garage sales during a 12- month period Sales may last no longer than three days and may not include merchandise acquired solely for resale purposes in the garage sale One sign is allowed upon the lot where the sale is taking place Up to five signs are allowed at remote locations with permission from the property owner No signs are permitted in the public right-of-way or in the medians Effective June 12, 2013, a permit is required for each sale The permit fee is $0 for the 1st garage sale permit and $25 for the 2nd garage sale permit Permits can be obtained at any Dallas Public Library location 24