Of Grime And Punishment Code Enforcement Takes On Eyesores All Over Spokane

Spokane Code Enforcement officer Suzanne Tresko doesn’t wear a uniform.

There are no lights or sirens on her city vehicle, and her only weapons are “charm and bluster,” she said.

Thus armed, Tresko is charged with enforcing the city’s codes. Specifically, the laws that instruct property owners on what is not permitted on their property, including garbage, yard waste and junk cars.

Like all of Spokane’s code enforcement officers, Tresko said her first tactic is to persuade property owners in violation to mend their ways.

“You have to gum them to death,” she said. “It’s finesse and salesmanship.”

Failing that, she can issue a civil citation, which carries a fine, and for the most intractable cases, a criminal nuisance charge, which can result in a 90-day jail sentence.

The system seems to work, said assistant city attorney Tim Szambelan, who prosecutes land code violations. Most people clean up their mess when asked, he said.

“There is a 95 to 98 percent compliance rate,” Szambelan said. “That’s pretty darn effective.”

But that success rate is based on the number of complaints Code Enforcement receives, and Code Enforcement officers only act if a neighbor complains.

That’s because it’s hard to make a case stick in court unless there is a complaint, Tresko said.

Members of the Spokane City Council say that the city should patrol for violations and not wait for complaints.

In a council study session last month, Councilman Steve Eugster said waiting for complaints sends the wrong message.

“I disagree with that philosophy entirely,” he said. “It establishes a very, very bad ethic. It makes the city available only to those that complain.”

Eugster and Mayor John Talbott said the city is in dire need of improvement.

“Quite frankly, our city looks terrible in many areas,” Talbott said.

One solution proposed at the session was random sweeps of neighborhoods, with Code Enforcement issuing tickets for violations.

“I would love to have you guys just driving around” patrolling neighborhoods, Councilwoman Roberta Greene said.

But a crackdown may not produce the desired results, cautioned the people who work in the system.

If the goal is compliance, persuasion can be more effective, Tresko said. Property owners will let fines pile up while ignoring the problem, she said.

“You can threaten and follow through with all the enforcement you want but if that’s not going to result in compliance, what’s the point?” she said.

Radically increasing the number of citations and nuisance charges would also flood the court system. Currently, Szambelan is the only city attorney who handles code enforcement cases.

“It takes a lot more staff resources and time if you have to go through the court system, and often the courts will order them to do exactly what we have asked them to do,” Assistant City Manager Roger Flint said. “You’re a lot better off if you try and get voluntary compliance.”

A solution favored by the mayor is to put the first responsibility for cleaning up the city in the hands of neighborhoods.

“I think neighborhoods need to be doing more and Code Enforcement doing less,” Talbott said.

Already, the city’s Neighborhood Services Department is sponsoring the Beautify Spokane Awards to recognize homes and businesses that are well-maintained.

A neighborhood-based approach could be more comprehensive while saving the city money, Talbott said. Calling Code Enforcement should be a last resort.

“If the neighborhood finds out there is someone who just won’t cooperate, then they can file a complaint,” Talbott said.

That’s something some neighborhood councils are doing already.

Neighbors in the Chief Garry Park ask homeowners to clean up their mess and point out infractions to people who might not know the law, Neighborhood Council Chairman Chuck Moffitt said.

“Mostly, if you tell them, they’ll take care of it,” Moffitt said. “The biggest problem is to have everyone aware of what is required, and many people are willing to tell people what’s required.”

But if the mayor had something more precise in mind, he hasn’t told the neighborhoods, Moffitt said.

“He gave absolutely no method for implementing his idea” at a neighborhood forum earlier this year, Moffitt said. “If he wants something concrete, he has to specify it.” A neighborhood-oriented approach also has the benefit of keeping the city out of people’s yards, Tresko said.

The less intrusive code enforcement is, the better, she said.

“I like the idea that we have to justify what we’re doing,” she said. “It’s frustrating as heck, but appropriate.”

This sidebar appeared with the story: HOW IT WORKS Complaints get results

The city of Spokane Code Enforcement Department enforces municipal codes dealing with land-use violations. They include junk vehicles and refuse on private property, unmowed grass that becomes a fire hazard and illegal use of homes for business.

Code Enforcement requires a signed complaint before it investigates problems.

Complaint forms can be picked up at neighborhood community centers, Community Oriented Policing substations and the Code Enforcement Office in City Hall. The department can be reached at 625-6083.