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Home My WebLink AboutPSAC Agenda Item No. 56 CITY O)F I,a K_E C "? LS I 1IC R,E DREAM EXTREME �tM CITY OF LAKE ELSINORE REPORT TO PUBLIC SAFETY ADVISORY COMMISSION TO: CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY ADVISORY COMMISSION FROM: JUSTIN CARLSON, MANAGEMENT ANALYST DATE: JULY 11, 2012 SUBJECT: CITY OF LAKE ELSINORE NEIGHBORHOOD ENHANCEMENT TEAM (NET) PROGRAM RECOMMENDATION It is recommended that the Public Safety Advisory Commission recommend that staff act as deemed appropriate. BACKGROUND On June 15, 2012, staff received an email from Chairman Norkin approving Commissioner Dana's request to the have the Neighborhood Enhancement Team (NET) program on the agenda for the special PSAC meeting of July 11, 2012. On June 29, 2012 Commissioner Dana requested staff provide a written overview of the City's NET program. On Monday, July 2, 2012, the City's Code Enforcement Division provided the Commission with a memo detailing how the program operates (see attachment 1). The NET program, as it has operated in the past, is implemented by the City's Code Enforcement and Building and Safety Divisions. An area(s) of the City is identified and a project date(s) are selected. The City then coordinates with the City's trash provider (CR &R) to ensure that they will have the ability to service the project on the selected dates. The City then creates a flyer in both English and Spanish providing residents of the selected area(s) where the NET will be implemented. The flyer also includes details of what will occur Agenda Item No. G City of Lake Elsinore Neighborhood Enhancement Team Program July 11, 2012 Page 2 and how to participate. The City then distributes these flyers approximately thirty (30) to forty- r' five (45) days before the project commences. Once the NET begins, Code Enforcement officers and Building & Safety inspectors walk the areas looking for City Code violations. Once a violation is identified Notices of Violation and /or corrections are issued. The City then conducts a follow up inspection for compliance. DISCUSSION It should be noted that the last NET program project was completed in February 2008 and subsequent projects were cancelled due to the downturn in the economy and current staffing levels of the City. If the Commission were to recommend a reinstatement of the NET program, staff would have to conduct research on the availability of staffing (both City and associated companies), costs, tangible and achievable goals, project area selection and the order these are selected, how often a project is carried implemented, and to identify if alternative avenues can be implemented that improve efficiency of the program. FISCAL IMPACT The fiscal impact to the City for the cost of operating a NET program cannot be calculated at this time as the program has not been established nor is it included in the 2012/2013 fiscal year budget. Prepared by: Justin Carlson,% -, z Management Analyst Approved by: Thomas P. Ev s Interim City Ma r Attachments: 1. NET Procedures memo, dated July 2, 2012. Agenda Item No. CITY OF LAKE ELSINORE MEMORANDUM TO: JUSTIN CARLSON, MANAGEMENT ANALYST PUBLIC SAFETY ADVISORY COMMITTEE FROM: FRED LOPEZ, CODE ENFORCEMENT SUPERVISOR SUBJECT: NET PROCEDURES DATE: JULY 2, 2012 Justin, Per Commissioner Dana's e-mail request, this is an outline of the NET (Neighborhood Enhancement Team) procedures. 1. Select an area (Code Enforcement Staff will meet and confer with City Officials to ' select an appropriate area) a. Low Income (CDBG) b. Blighted Conditions c. Older Area (20+ years old) d. 300 -400 homes 2. Create a map a. GIS generated map of the project area 3. Select a Date a. Generally 90 -120 in advance b. First Saturday of the month to coincide with the City's hazardous material collection day 4. Coordinate with CR &R (Ed Campos) a. Confirm date works for them b. Forward a copy of the project area c. Receive Confirmation 5. Create a NET flyer (English /Spanish) a. Flyer contains all pertinent information relating to the neighborhood cleanup i. Date of cleanup ii. Location of items to be discarded (curb) iii. Where to take hazardous materials iv. Free towing for abandoned vehicles v. Common violations vi. Assistance for disabled citizens b. Pass out flyers approximately 30 -45 days prior to date of cleanup 11.r0 6. Start Inspections a. Minimum of 2 -3 Officers /Inspectors b. Divide the project area into sections c. Walk the project area seeking out violations of code d. Address all violations observed i. Junk, Trash and Debris ii. Landscaping (dead /dying /weeds) iii. Inoperable Vehicles iv. Paint (trim /fences /house) v. Address Numbers vi. Illegal Construction (unpermitted structures, patio covers, decks, room additions, garage conversions) vii. Hazardous Conditions (electrical, plumbing) 7. Issue Notices of Violations /Corrections a. Compliance date coincides with cleanup date b. Roughly 70% of all homes in the project area will have violations 8. Follow up Inspections for Compliance a. Non - compliance (warning notice) b. Continued non - compliance (citations) To further expand on the program and its benefits, the NET program offers residents in the project area the opportunity to take full advantage of a City funded clean up in their own neighborhood. Unlike standard city wide clean up dates where citizens have to drive their discarded items to a set location, the NET program provides curb side service to remove discarded items. On average, the NET program removes approximately 50 to 100 tons of junk, trash and debris from the project area. The NET program also provides citizens an opportunity to take pride in ownership and correct many of the violations that promote blighted conditions. The downside to the NET program is its very "labor intensive" which simply means that a minimum amount of staff is required to be successful. There is also a cost associated with the NET, the current cost would be approximately $10,000 to $15,000 (up from $8,000 to $12,000 in 2008 to compensate for increased fuel /labor cost). The last NET project was completed in February 2008 and subsequent NET projects were canceled due to the failing economy and lack of staff (layoffs). Previous funding for the NET projects came from CDBG funding to which approximately $40,000 was set aside for Code Enforcement to cover the cost of the NET programs and nuisance abatement throughout the year. Currently, the Code Enforcement Division utilizes CDBG funding to cover expenses relating to personnel cost and any funding for a NET project would have to come from another funding source. `.mew 2 Another downside to the NET program is it could be seen as a financial burden on the citizens, the cost of abating certain nuisances, most specifically landscaping or the lack thereof can be costly to install and maintain (water cost). The Code Enforcement Division has had to re- evaluate how we enforce landscaping issues in order to accommodate the fluctuating economy and the financial concerns of the citizens. Unfortunately I do not have any photographic documentation to provide as the Code Enforcement Division has gone through two computer upgrades since 2008 and old photographs are purged from the system. With proper Code Enforcement staffing (minimum 4 officers, 2 to conduct the NET and 2 to provide services to the rest of the City) I believe a modified NET can be accomplished (the Building and Safety Division does not have the staffing for a NET program per the Interim Building Official) without direct Building and Safety involvement, Building Inspectors can be notified on a case by case basis at the discretion of the Code Enforcement Officers. The project area would have to be small in size 150 -250 homes and include higher density housing to keep the overall area to a minimum (Bird Tract or the Presidential Tract) in order to ensure success and not impact Code Enforcement services in other parts of the city. In order to pull off a full scale NET program (Code Enforcement and Building & Safety involvement) including 300 -400 homes encompassing a larger area, staffing levels for both Code Enforcement and Building and Safety would have to be returned to 2008 levels (4 Code Enforcement Officers 1 Manager /Supervisor and 4 -5 Building Inspectors) Please feel free to contact me if you have any further questions regarding the NET program. 3 ..r