On December 24, 2002, the Coloradan ran a opinion letter Ft. Collins city councilor Marty Tharp. In her letter Ms. Tharp suggeted that residents of Ft. Collins go through their neighbor’s mailboxes to identify who was living at the house. You can read her opinion here: Residents have a role in enforcing city codes
This prompted the creation of this web site Choice Cities of Amerika You can reach Marty Tharp and other Ft. Collins city councilors here: Fort Collins City Councillors.
Residents have a role in enforcing city codes
Topic: Neighborhoods
By Marty Tharp
On Dec. 1 it became a city violation to park cars on lawns, and warnings are being given now to let people know of the new rule.
This is one more attempt to deal with the deterioration in some fine old neighborhoods. Many of those neighborhoods are in my council district where rental density and related behavior issues lower home values, destroy neighborhoods, and reduce the quality of life.
Unless these concerns are addressed, older residents will move away from troublesome renters, allowing one more home to evolve into another “mini-dormitory.”
The ordinances that address rental issues began with the rental code of 1920, restated in 1982, outlining health and safety issues.
A new brochure explaining the rental code is available at city hall, 300 LaPorte Ave.
The city also has an ordinance that only three unrelated persons can live in one rental.
It’s difficult to enforce because it is hard to know who lives in each rental.
It is up to neighbors to monitor who lives in the rental by getting the renters to acknowledge that fact, checking cars parked every night at the rental, or checking mailboxes to see who is getting mail delivered at each rental.
All that is time-consuming and frustrating to neighbors who don’t want to spy on their neighbors.
Nor are they comfortable signing a complaint. However, without these actions, the city does not move forward on complaints.
But it’s the behavior more than the number of people in a given house that is the problem.
So the city created the public nuisance ordinance covering noisy parties, trash, weeds, dogs barking, sofas on roofs and yards, public urination and zoning violations.
Many feel these violations are not always enforced, and again, the neighbors have to file a complaint.
The city is working on making it easier for residents to report nuisance violations by creating a single phone number.
Right now, there are different phone numbers for each violation.
The city’s code compliance manager, Beth Sowder, tries to solve neighborhood concerns rather than give citations or fines.
After a house gets three tickets for violations, the property owner gets a significant fine.
Another attempt by the city to address these behavior issues has been to create a Colorado State University/city liaison.
That person is Cree Bol.
She works with students in a creative, positive way to help students become more responsible neighbors and to bridge the communication between students and townspeople. That seems to be working.
Not all issues are student- related. Nonstudents can just as easily be irresponsible.
We have all these “tools” in place, and yet we have frustrated citizens who feel enforcement is not pursued aggressively.
Laws that are not enforced create disrespect for all government. It is important that enforcement be given a higher priority.
It costs money to enforce such issues, but it also costs money not to enforce city ordinances.
Those costs are hidden in decreased property values and decreased quality of life.
It is in our own best interest to ensure that existing ordinances are strongly and swiftly enforced.
The city needs the will to do it, and this is where I plan to put my next efforts.
It is the only way to assure Fort Collins remains a choice city for both homeowners and renters.
Marty Tharp is a Fort Collins City Council member representing District 5.
Originally published Tuesday, December 24, 2002 in the Coloradoan.
