New boss for county code enforcement officer

New boss for county code enforcement officer

Quorum Court puts position under purview of county judge

news@theeveningtimes.com

The county code enforcement officer will soon be reporting to the county judge rather than the sheriff.

The personnel committee recommended that the Quorum Court move code enforcement from under the Sheriff’s Department and transfer oversight instead to the county judge.

“Code enforcement currently reports to two people. They report to the sheriff and the judge. In the bigger picture we see where that could cause a conflict,” said Justice Lorenzo Parker.

Parker said reorganization would remove any confusion about whose directives code enforcement should follow.

The budget for code enforcement will also be moved from the sheriff’s budget and placed in with the judge’s office as well.

Justice Hubert Bass, who said he supports putting code enforcement under the county judge, asked whether the code enforcement officer would still wear a uniform.

“I was just wondering because if we move the budget to the judge’s budget and create the ordinance that he reports to the judge, does he still wear the sheriff’s uniform?”

“I guess that would be up to us,” Parker said. “We didn’t discuss that. It was just the answering part. I think he would need to have a uniform. We can get together with the judge and hash it out.”

Sheriff Mike Allen said he could still commission the code enforcement officer as a law enforcement officer.

“He would still have to come for firearm training and other classes that are mandatory to keep his certification,” Allen said. “But I wouldn’t have a problem commissioning him.”

Allen said code enforcement would be better served working for the county judge and not splitting his time answering 911 calls. “He stays pretty busy.

There were times when he was doing 10 or 15 code violations a day,” Allen said.

“There is plenty of work to do as far as code enforcement and keeping grass mowed and illegal dumping and stuff like that. I feel like it will be a good move.”

Deputy Rodney Davis is the current code enforcement officer.

“He’s done good work as far as getting property owners to clean up their property,” Allen said. “There is a lot more to do.”

The Quorum Court also plans to look at the amount of fees currently being charged for permits.

“We feel we are undercharging for that,” Parker said.

By Mark Randall