{"id":37613,"date":"2024-07-18T16:42:08","date_gmt":"2024-07-18T21:42:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/unitedresourceconnection.org\/cannon-ball-nd-58528\/city-of-faith-to-scrap-code-enforcement-crackdown\/"},"modified":"2024-07-18T16:42:20","modified_gmt":"2024-07-18T21:42:20","slug":"city-of-faith-to-scrap-code-enforcement-crackdown","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unitedresourceconnection.org\/cannon-ball-nd-58528\/city-of-faith-to-scrap-code-enforcement-crackdown\/","title":{"rendered":"City of Faith to scrap code enforcement crackdown"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The city of Faith in rural northwestern South Dakota recently enacted a code enforcement crackdown that may be put on hold after strong public outcry. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch \/ South Dakota News Watch)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Applause rang out among residents at the city council meeting in Faith on Tuesday, July 16 when the council voted to begin the process to rescind a controversial new code enforcement policy.<\/p>\n

After weeks of negative feedback from the public over a recent property code enforcement crackdown, the council voted to remove the International Property Maintenance Code from its ordinances. The first reading of the ordinance to rescind the code was approved, and it will take another affirmative vote and a few weeks to legally rescind the code.<\/p>\n

The code, used by communities across the state as a guide for code enforcement, allows an enforcement officer to access land and dwellings of code scofflaws without permission in some circumstances. The Faith council said it would instead revert back to its local code enforcement rules that were in place before the code crackdown began this spring.<\/p>\n

Mayor Glen Haines told the council and public that the city will provide copies of the property codes to all residents in an effort to educate them about the rules and the requirements that they abide by them.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s up to the people now,\u201d Haines told News Watch in an interview on July 17. \u201cIt\u2019s what they wanted, so we\u2019ll see what the people do.\u201d<\/p>\n

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This property in Faith, S.D., is one of many that city officials hope will be cleaned up, even as the local government has signaled it is backing down on a property code crackdown that was in effect. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch \/ South Dakota News Watch)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The council on July 16 also went into executive session to discuss whether to continue, change or exit a contract with Code Enforcement Specialists (CES), a private code enforcement firm the city hired in March 2024 to lead its new code enforcement efforts.<\/p>\n

Haines said no new action was taken on the CES contract after the executive session, so for now the CES contract remains in effect.<\/p>\n

Whereas a feeling of anger was present among attendees at a spirited council meeting on July 2 \u2013 when some residents spoke of taking up arms over the code crackdown \u2013 the vibe at the July 16 meeting was one of relief and reconciliation.<\/p>\n

Longtime Faith resident Eddie Henschel said he thinks Faith is a beautiful town despite a need for some properties to be cleaned up. Henschel said he hopes the residents can come together to beautify the city, just as they did in helping one another recover from recent bad storms.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople in this community, even if they hate their neighbors \u2026 we all pull together as a team,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

As reported earlier by News Watch<\/a>, the hubbub arose when the city hired CES, of Burke, S.D., to visit the city and begin stricter enforcement of its codes. The council also adopted the international property code as recommended by Joel Johnson, owner of CES. The firm has code enforcement contracts with more than 80 communities in South Dakota and elsewhere.<\/p>\n

After visiting Faith, Johnson sent out 53 enforcement warning letters to residents of the northwest South Dakota town of 300 that has about 200 properties. The letters landed with a thud, as residents were suddenly faced with potentially expensive repairs and cleaning requirements for things that had not been addressed by the city for decades in some cases.<\/p>\n

At the same time, there was an acknowledgement in Faith that some properties had become eyesores, with disabled vehicles parked in yards, tall grass and weeds or junk piled within sight of neighboring properties.<\/p>\n

Haines said further action to remove the international code and possibly alter the CES contract will occur at council meetings in the coming weeks and possibly months. \u201cIt takes a while to get everything settled out,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

This story was produced by South Dakota News Watch, a nonpartisan, nonprofit news organization. Read more in-depth stories at sdnewswatch.org<\/a> and sign up for an email every few days to get stories as soon as they\u2019re published. Contact Bart Pfankuch at bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org<\/a><\/u>.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

www.sdnewswatch.org\/city-of-faith-to-scrap-code-enforcement-crackdown\/&nbsp<\/a>;<\/p>\n

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The post City of Faith to scrap code enforcement crackdown<\/a> first appeared on Native Sun News Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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The city of Faith in rural northwestern South Dakota recently enacted a code enforcement crackdown that may be put on hold after strong public outcry. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch \/ South Dakota News Watch) Applause rang out among residents at the city council meeting in Faith on Tuesday, July 16 when <\/p>\n

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Shared by Native Sun News Today<\/a> July 18, 2024<\/p>\n

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