Post Falls City Council urged to approve new code enforcement position

POST FALLS – Robin Hutchins has seen a lot of code violations – yards littered with junk cars, old appliances and piles of lumber, vehicles abandoned all over town and stacks of water-filled tires – but nothing compared to what was left behind at a former trailer park which became a dumping ground after it was left vacant.

Trash piled up, vandals destroyed vehicles and buildings, and some used bathrooms inside abandoned trailers even though the plumbing was turned off. Hutchins, a code enforcement officer for the Post Falls Police Department, helped lead the clean-up.

Thankfully, she said, most code violations are easier to handle.

“About 95 percent of the people I contact comply. It just might take some time,” Hutchins said.

Post Falls Community Development Director Alexander Ikefuna is pushing the Post Falls City Council to improve code enforcement by approving a new code enforcement position within his department – someone who can coordinate with Hutchins to respond to citizen concerns, work with property owners on code enforcement issues and educate the community. The council will take the issue up early next month.

Without code enforcement, residents begin to believe there are no community standards for sanitation or debris, Ikefuna said.

“If you don’t enforce an ordinance, over time people may think there is no code violation,” he said. “You start breeding slums. That impacts property values and public safety and health and welfare.

“We have to have a point person to coordinate enforcement and lead the educational component,” Ikefuna said.

Post Falls Mayor Clay Larkin said he and the council are open to considering the proposal. The position would be paid for by reorganizing the department’s staff and not require any additional funding.

While only police officers can issue citations for violating city codes, the Police Department shares code enforcement responsibilities with the Community Development Department. Police are responsible for addressing any violations involving animals, vehicles or health and safety (like illegal dumping), but the Community Development Department oversees building code, zoning and land use issues.

Older neighborhoods around the city center have the most problems with code violations, Ikefuna said. Yards filled with abandoned vehicles and junk discourage investment in the neighborhood and damage community pride, he said. Property values suffer.

Addressing violations is part toughness, but larger party diplomacy, said Post Falls Police Chief Cliff Hayes.

“What’s one man’s junk is another man’s treasure,” Hayes said. “If you walk up to a homeowner and hand them a copy of an ordinance and say they have until next Tuesday to get it fixed, they’re not going to respond too favorably to that contact.

“If you give them alternatives, the majority comply. Prosecution is rare,” he said.

People hang onto junk for a variety of reasons, Hutchins said. Some are hoarders, others can’t afford to dispose of all the trash and some hang onto it for sentimental reasons.

Ikefuna said the city can help by organizing periodic pick-ups for large appliances and other bulky items and connecting renters and property owners with resources to help them address code issues and make home improvements.

The Community Development Department doesn’t get many code enforcement calls at this time – most go to the police – but Ikefuna predicts that will change.

“Once we begin the public education, the calls will quadruple,” he said.

Larkin agreed: “I think overall people would appreciate the community being cleaned up more.”