Hawesville Code Enforcement Members named
At the Hawesville City Council Meeting on Tuesday, September 12th, three volunteer Code Enforcement Board Members were named to enforce the city’s new ordinances: Chuck Jones, Stephanie Clark and Robert McCann.
“We have 3 solid individuals,” Hawesville Mayor Rob McCormick said. “Chuck has agreed to the one-year term, Ms. Clark will have the 2-year term, and Mr. McCann will have the 3-year term. I’d like to move forward with this and start imposing these areas of concern that we have.
These 3 will sit on the board and make recommendations to us, then we will discuss here. They’ll take it back to the Code Enforcement Officer, our Chief of Police (Cody Axton), and he will address the issue. In the interim while he’s gone [with training], we’ll figure out what to do in that case.”
Ordinances
Passed by the City Council in July of this year, after the process of an open forum, town hall and readings at meetings, were: Code Enforcement, Water & Sewer Reclassification & Rate Increase, and Nuisance Ordinances. The increase in water rates is $5 the first year and 3 percent the next 3 years (these ordinances were published for readers in a previous edition of the Hancock Clarion) .https://www.hancockclarion.com/2023/08/02/
At the town hall in July, McCormick said there are a “tremendous amount” of grants that can be applied for to help with projects in the city, but until the catch-up on audits is completed (due to the previous administration’s being behind on those), that they cannot yet be utilized.
“This Code Enforcement is not set up for us to make revenue off of,” McCormick said, “it’s set up to where [citizens] will clean their properties. We don’t want to have to fine anybody but if we do, we do. If they’re not in compliance after we’ve given notice – I’m sorry. We’re working on creating the revenue to cover our needs. We’re moving forward; the 2018/19 audit is complete.”
Ordinance 8-23 Amended
In addition, City Attorney Jamie Stephens explained why Ordinance 8-23 was amended and reprinted, stating that corrections were needed on the second page, section 2, under the Rate Increases heading. “We had in the ordinance when these initial rates would be implemented, as to the effective date,” she said, “but all of the subsequent rate changes in each year weren’t designated as to when those would go into effect. That has now been stated to be the first day of the fiscal year thereafter.”
McCormick said he’d like to have the approval made of the 3 Code Enforcement Board members at next month’s council meeting, rescheduled for Tuesday, October 3rd.
By Jennifer Wimmer
