Tuesday, October 26, 2010
We Have A Strategy?
Good judgment and decision making are necessary in identifying appropriate plan strategies across multi-period settings in which one period’s choice affects the value of future outcomes. The plan must consider the impact of the current period’s decision on future outcomes in order to choose the pattern of effort that would maximize total results. However, when faced with this sort of multi-period decision problem, organizations often ignore the “internality” (that is, the impact of current decisions on the utility of future decisions), and instead choose actions that maximize the payoff in the current period at the expense of the overall outcome across periods. This behavior is referred to as “melioration.”
Friday, October 22, 2010
Who's Going to Do It?
The act of managing a Street Department can be a multifaceted and challenging experience. Street Department managers are tasked with managing under varied and often less than ideal conditions. Managers must contend with weather and the changing seasons, traffic pattern extremes, resource availability, and public pressure to name but a few of the variables.
The process of management is not a series of separate functions; rather it is a composite process made up of the individual functions: Planning, Organizing, Directing, and Controlling. Not one of these functions can be performed without involving the others.
Every manager must, to some extent, make plans for the future. Plans may vary from the operational to strategic and from the simple to the involved. Planning is not a function reserved exclusively for upper management. Every manager, regardless of organizational level, must plan and this is certainly true for the management of a Street Department. For successful managers, planning is part of every day.
All managerial acts are laced with varying degrees of planning. When one considers the level of service required of the Street Department in general and particularly the maintenance work area, along with the many variables and often complex nature of the required tasks, one can readily understand the need to plan. Without proper planning, the operations become confused, ineffective and more often than not, cost prohibitive. It is a fact, that careful, well thought planning can advance an organization from a level of mediocre existence to one of leadership.
Managers must constantly organize - organize personnel, organize materials, organize time, organize activities. Organizing brings order out of chaos and introduces system into the environment. Organizing consists of: 1. determining what activities or tasks need to be done to reach the organizational goal/plan; 2. grouping and assigning the activities to subordinates, and 3. delegating the required authority to the subordinates to carry out the assigned tasks.
Like planning, organizing is an inseparable part of the management cycle. A manager must plan prior to organizing, but generally in a composite manner - such that neither function is separately discernable, but both intermixed in the whole management function. Organizing the Street Department activities is a daily requirement of the Street Superintendent. Each day's planned activities must be organized to insure the optimum efficiency and use of resources.
Directing is the managerial function that relates to those activities that deal directly with influencing, guiding, and supervising subordinates. The single most important ingredient of directing is communication. The Superintendent's communicative skills (all forms) will dictate the success that manager has with directing.
A manager cannot knowingly direct without also planning and organizing. An unplanned, disorganized directive is certainly a meaningless accumulation of words. Street Department supervisors, at each level, from the Superintendent to the Foreman are involved in directing. Like planning and organizing, directing cannot stand alone and is performed in conjunction with the other management functions.
Whenever people are joined together in a common undertaking or task, some form of control is always necessary. The control function of management consists of those activities which are undertaken to force events to conform to the prearranged plans. Thus we see that planning is necessary for control. Whenever planned objectives are not reached, the manager must implement a control action to remedy the situation.
Managers must often direct subordinates to follow a planned and necessary action. This is the control function of management and like the functions of planning, organizing, and directing, control cannot exist alone. The Superintendent utilizes the control function daily and each level of management implements control to varying degrees.
Applying management principles to Street Department operations recognizes that many street activities can be planned, scheduled and accomplished in a defined manner. Maintenance management provides a framework for developing maintenance plans, tracking work accomplishment and preparing reports that compare planned and actual performance. Beginning with a basic framework for management which includes planning, organizing, directing and controlling, an overview of maintenance management can be presented as:
Planning – determining the organization’s goals and deciding how best to achieve them. Planning involves choosing tasks that must be performed and how and when they will be performed. Planning outlines how to be successful. It takes time, coordination, expertise, and objectivity. Effective planning takes much effort and the ability to take a broad objective view. Decision making is also included with planning because it involves selecting the best course of action to achieve success.
Planning maintenance activities based upon the street features to be maintained, the resources (labor, equipment & materials) needed to provide maintenance and the level of service to be provided by the maintenance. This includes preparing budgets based upon maintenance performance standards to define the specific types and amounts of maintenance work.
Organizing - assigning tasks to various individuals or groups; puts plan into action. People are given work assignments that contribute to achieving the goals. Organizing involves using your resources appropriately to reach the organization’s goals. Organizing is the primary way managers activate their plans. Organizing involves knowing your organization and your people. Some identify five steps in the organizing process: 1) reflect on plans and objectives; you must keep these plans and objectives in mind at all times. They guide you through the entire management process; 2) establish major tasks; determine what are the major responsibilities or tasks; 3) divide major tasks into subtasks; this is a critical step to help you get to the details; 4) allocate resources; determine how many people and other resources must be devoted to each area; you may have to form work groups, committees, or teams to accomplish the tasks; make sure they have the proper resources to be successful; and 5) evaluate the results of your strategy; take a critical and objective look at the results.
Street Department organizing coordinates the people, organizations, material, equipment, facilities, and information resources to ensure that planned maintenance activities can be accomplished with the budget available. Coordinating activities and efforts are crucial to your efficiency and effectiveness as a manager. This helps you organize and manage your resources better. Encouraging initiative and responsibility, while maintaining discipline and defined duties are important aspects of organizing.
Of all the resources already mentioned, the hardest to manage might be the people aspect. It is a known fact that most project problems are caused by people, not technology. This is why the “people” aspect of management is key to the success of a manager.
Directing – guiding the activities of the organization’s members. Over the years, directing has been referred to as motivating, leading, or influencing. Leading seems to be the term used most frequently these days. Regardless of the term you use, they all mean the same as applied to the management process. The ultimate goal for directing people is to achieve the organization’s goals. Whether those goals are to increase productivity, or to make more money, or to safe lives, a manager must lead employees to accomplish the goals and missions of the organization.
One way to direct people is through effective communication. Your skill as an effective communicator is a great tool for accomplishing your organization’s goals. If you agree that communicating is the sharing of information then you realize that both verbal and written communications are vital to leading your employees. Good managers realize that employees need information to do their jobs and good managers aren’t afraid to share that information. Good managers also realize that everything they do communicates, whether it is verbal or non-verbal. Good managers also know the value of feedback. Keep a door open and allow for feedback from your employees.
Controlling – within the context of management, is making things happen as planned. Controlling is the continuing process of monitoring the progress being made by your workers. Managers must make sure that the organization is performing as planned and will accomplish its goals. Controlling involves gathering information and measuring performance. The performance must be measured against some standard and then managers must be willing and ready to take corrective action as necessary to get back on track. When thinking about controlling managers must realize that there are many, many different activities within their responsibility. A manager not only has employees, but also a physical plant or building, inventory, and finances to consider. There are many variables involved with controlling. And, of course controlling is certainly a continuing process.
Controlling is a vital part of being an effective manager. Circumstances seem to change more frequently than ever before. Systems are more complex and turbulent and that impacts on organizations. Good managers will have planned and be ready when changes occur. However, sometimes circumstances are beyond a manager’s control and the manager must still be ready to make quick, good decisions.
If a manager has established standards and has measured performance then that manager is ready to evaluate and act. One area where managers must have strength of conviction is in the area of taking corrective action. These changing circumstances are going to happen and a manager must control what must be done. Indecision can ruin an organization. Flexibility and objectivity are important here. A manager must look at his or her resources objectively and then realize that the control system must be flexible enough to handle the changes.
Two principles need to be singled out because of their relevance to small local governments. These are important concepts in any organization, but especially in an organization like the City. Span of Control has been a concern of organizations for many years. It refers to the number of individuals a manager supervises. It also implies how many a manager can supervise effectively. If a manager has too many people working for them they can lose their effectiveness and this definitely hurts the organization. Productivity would be decreased as well as interpersonal relationships. There is no magic number for the exact amount of people one manager can supervise, but years ago six was the average number and more recently 3-9 has been used, but again that depends on both the workers and the manager. The importance of this concept is that it is a crucial factor in structuring an organization and has huge impact on the organization.
Unity of Command means that an individual should only have one boss. Unity of Command can keep responsibilities from overlapping and thus hold down confusion. Additionally, too many bosses giving orders can be very frustrating and confusing for a worker. This would certainly cause inefficiencies and ineffectiveness.
The process of management is not a series of separate functions; rather it is a composite process made up of the individual functions: Planning, Organizing, Directing, and Controlling. Not one of these functions can be performed without involving the others.
Every manager must, to some extent, make plans for the future. Plans may vary from the operational to strategic and from the simple to the involved. Planning is not a function reserved exclusively for upper management. Every manager, regardless of organizational level, must plan and this is certainly true for the management of a Street Department. For successful managers, planning is part of every day.
All managerial acts are laced with varying degrees of planning. When one considers the level of service required of the Street Department in general and particularly the maintenance work area, along with the many variables and often complex nature of the required tasks, one can readily understand the need to plan. Without proper planning, the operations become confused, ineffective and more often than not, cost prohibitive. It is a fact, that careful, well thought planning can advance an organization from a level of mediocre existence to one of leadership.
Managers must constantly organize - organize personnel, organize materials, organize time, organize activities. Organizing brings order out of chaos and introduces system into the environment. Organizing consists of: 1. determining what activities or tasks need to be done to reach the organizational goal/plan; 2. grouping and assigning the activities to subordinates, and 3. delegating the required authority to the subordinates to carry out the assigned tasks.
Like planning, organizing is an inseparable part of the management cycle. A manager must plan prior to organizing, but generally in a composite manner - such that neither function is separately discernable, but both intermixed in the whole management function. Organizing the Street Department activities is a daily requirement of the Street Superintendent. Each day's planned activities must be organized to insure the optimum efficiency and use of resources.
Directing is the managerial function that relates to those activities that deal directly with influencing, guiding, and supervising subordinates. The single most important ingredient of directing is communication. The Superintendent's communicative skills (all forms) will dictate the success that manager has with directing.
A manager cannot knowingly direct without also planning and organizing. An unplanned, disorganized directive is certainly a meaningless accumulation of words. Street Department supervisors, at each level, from the Superintendent to the Foreman are involved in directing. Like planning and organizing, directing cannot stand alone and is performed in conjunction with the other management functions.
Whenever people are joined together in a common undertaking or task, some form of control is always necessary. The control function of management consists of those activities which are undertaken to force events to conform to the prearranged plans. Thus we see that planning is necessary for control. Whenever planned objectives are not reached, the manager must implement a control action to remedy the situation.
Managers must often direct subordinates to follow a planned and necessary action. This is the control function of management and like the functions of planning, organizing, and directing, control cannot exist alone. The Superintendent utilizes the control function daily and each level of management implements control to varying degrees.
Applying management principles to Street Department operations recognizes that many street activities can be planned, scheduled and accomplished in a defined manner. Maintenance management provides a framework for developing maintenance plans, tracking work accomplishment and preparing reports that compare planned and actual performance. Beginning with a basic framework for management which includes planning, organizing, directing and controlling, an overview of maintenance management can be presented as:
Planning – determining the organization’s goals and deciding how best to achieve them. Planning involves choosing tasks that must be performed and how and when they will be performed. Planning outlines how to be successful. It takes time, coordination, expertise, and objectivity. Effective planning takes much effort and the ability to take a broad objective view. Decision making is also included with planning because it involves selecting the best course of action to achieve success.
Planning maintenance activities based upon the street features to be maintained, the resources (labor, equipment & materials) needed to provide maintenance and the level of service to be provided by the maintenance. This includes preparing budgets based upon maintenance performance standards to define the specific types and amounts of maintenance work.
Organizing - assigning tasks to various individuals or groups; puts plan into action. People are given work assignments that contribute to achieving the goals. Organizing involves using your resources appropriately to reach the organization’s goals. Organizing is the primary way managers activate their plans. Organizing involves knowing your organization and your people. Some identify five steps in the organizing process: 1) reflect on plans and objectives; you must keep these plans and objectives in mind at all times. They guide you through the entire management process; 2) establish major tasks; determine what are the major responsibilities or tasks; 3) divide major tasks into subtasks; this is a critical step to help you get to the details; 4) allocate resources; determine how many people and other resources must be devoted to each area; you may have to form work groups, committees, or teams to accomplish the tasks; make sure they have the proper resources to be successful; and 5) evaluate the results of your strategy; take a critical and objective look at the results.
Street Department organizing coordinates the people, organizations, material, equipment, facilities, and information resources to ensure that planned maintenance activities can be accomplished with the budget available. Coordinating activities and efforts are crucial to your efficiency and effectiveness as a manager. This helps you organize and manage your resources better. Encouraging initiative and responsibility, while maintaining discipline and defined duties are important aspects of organizing.
Of all the resources already mentioned, the hardest to manage might be the people aspect. It is a known fact that most project problems are caused by people, not technology. This is why the “people” aspect of management is key to the success of a manager.
Directing – guiding the activities of the organization’s members. Over the years, directing has been referred to as motivating, leading, or influencing. Leading seems to be the term used most frequently these days. Regardless of the term you use, they all mean the same as applied to the management process. The ultimate goal for directing people is to achieve the organization’s goals. Whether those goals are to increase productivity, or to make more money, or to safe lives, a manager must lead employees to accomplish the goals and missions of the organization.
One way to direct people is through effective communication. Your skill as an effective communicator is a great tool for accomplishing your organization’s goals. If you agree that communicating is the sharing of information then you realize that both verbal and written communications are vital to leading your employees. Good managers realize that employees need information to do their jobs and good managers aren’t afraid to share that information. Good managers also realize that everything they do communicates, whether it is verbal or non-verbal. Good managers also know the value of feedback. Keep a door open and allow for feedback from your employees.
Controlling – within the context of management, is making things happen as planned. Controlling is the continuing process of monitoring the progress being made by your workers. Managers must make sure that the organization is performing as planned and will accomplish its goals. Controlling involves gathering information and measuring performance. The performance must be measured against some standard and then managers must be willing and ready to take corrective action as necessary to get back on track. When thinking about controlling managers must realize that there are many, many different activities within their responsibility. A manager not only has employees, but also a physical plant or building, inventory, and finances to consider. There are many variables involved with controlling. And, of course controlling is certainly a continuing process.
Controlling is a vital part of being an effective manager. Circumstances seem to change more frequently than ever before. Systems are more complex and turbulent and that impacts on organizations. Good managers will have planned and be ready when changes occur. However, sometimes circumstances are beyond a manager’s control and the manager must still be ready to make quick, good decisions.
If a manager has established standards and has measured performance then that manager is ready to evaluate and act. One area where managers must have strength of conviction is in the area of taking corrective action. These changing circumstances are going to happen and a manager must control what must be done. Indecision can ruin an organization. Flexibility and objectivity are important here. A manager must look at his or her resources objectively and then realize that the control system must be flexible enough to handle the changes.
Two principles need to be singled out because of their relevance to small local governments. These are important concepts in any organization, but especially in an organization like the City. Span of Control has been a concern of organizations for many years. It refers to the number of individuals a manager supervises. It also implies how many a manager can supervise effectively. If a manager has too many people working for them they can lose their effectiveness and this definitely hurts the organization. Productivity would be decreased as well as interpersonal relationships. There is no magic number for the exact amount of people one manager can supervise, but years ago six was the average number and more recently 3-9 has been used, but again that depends on both the workers and the manager. The importance of this concept is that it is a crucial factor in structuring an organization and has huge impact on the organization.
Unity of Command means that an individual should only have one boss. Unity of Command can keep responsibilities from overlapping and thus hold down confusion. Additionally, too many bosses giving orders can be very frustrating and confusing for a worker. This would certainly cause inefficiencies and ineffectiveness.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Another ?
Beginning in 2010, a municipality must spend each year for emergency services funded from shared revenue payments no less than the amount it spent in 2009, not counting capital expenditures and one-time expenses. Based on the language in the budget, at a minimum, the term means that portion of police and fire department expenditures that are funded by shared revenue. A municipality may decrease the amount it spends for emergency services below its 2009 amount, with the department of revenue’s approval, if the decrease in expenditures is a result of operating more efficiently, as determined by the department.
Under Wisconsin Statutes 43.15 (4)(c), local libraries must meet several requirements of system membership, including that the local library be funded at a level that is not lower than the average funding for the previous three years.
General Transportation Aid funds are distributed to all Wisconsin counties, cities, villages and towns based on a six-year spending average or a statutorily set rate-per-mile. The City of Lake Mills currently receives $294,000 in GTA.
Substantial changes in any of these programs will have negative budget impacts.
Under Wisconsin Statutes 43.15 (4)(c), local libraries must meet several requirements of system membership, including that the local library be funded at a level that is not lower than the average funding for the previous three years.
General Transportation Aid funds are distributed to all Wisconsin counties, cities, villages and towns based on a six-year spending average or a statutorily set rate-per-mile. The City of Lake Mills currently receives $294,000 in GTA.
Substantial changes in any of these programs will have negative budget impacts.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
No More
Chapter 178 of the Wisconsin Laws of 1977 (MED/ARB Law) extended compulsory binding arbitration of bargaining impasses to nearly all municipal employees in Wisconsin. This means there are no strikes.
In 1978, the compulsory binding arbitration amendments went into effect for most public employees, significant changes in the bargaining and contract administration processes were made. It provided compulsory binding interest arbitration as a final means to settle disputes involving municipal employees.
Compulsory Final and Binding Interest Arbitration is where the parties submit their final offer to the investigator appointed by the WERC. The MED/ARB process is initiated by either party's filing of a petition with the WERC. If a dispute has not been settled after a reasonable period of negotiations and the parties continue deadlocked with respect to any dispute concerning wages, hours and conditions of employment, the MED/ARB process may be commenced. Upon receipt of the petition for MED/ARB, the WERC is required to make an investigation to determine whether an impasse exists and whether there has been statutory compliance. Prior to the close of the investigation, each party is required to submit in writing a single final offer containing its final proposals on all unresolved issues and disputes. Final offers will only be accepted by the investigator where an impasse does in fact exist. The investigator will allow the parties to modify their final offers until he determines that the offers are final. The arbitrator thereafter selects one of the two final offers as the final award.
In 1978, the compulsory binding arbitration amendments went into effect for most public employees, significant changes in the bargaining and contract administration processes were made. It provided compulsory binding interest arbitration as a final means to settle disputes involving municipal employees.
Compulsory Final and Binding Interest Arbitration is where the parties submit their final offer to the investigator appointed by the WERC. The MED/ARB process is initiated by either party's filing of a petition with the WERC. If a dispute has not been settled after a reasonable period of negotiations and the parties continue deadlocked with respect to any dispute concerning wages, hours and conditions of employment, the MED/ARB process may be commenced. Upon receipt of the petition for MED/ARB, the WERC is required to make an investigation to determine whether an impasse exists and whether there has been statutory compliance. Prior to the close of the investigation, each party is required to submit in writing a single final offer containing its final proposals on all unresolved issues and disputes. Final offers will only be accepted by the investigator where an impasse does in fact exist. The investigator will allow the parties to modify their final offers until he determines that the offers are final. The arbitrator thereafter selects one of the two final offers as the final award.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
This Answers That Question
10-1-4: BUILDING INSPECTOR: The Building Inspector of the City and such deputies or assistants that have been, or shall be, duly appointed by the City Council shall enforce this title, and in addition thereto, and in furtherance of such authority shall:
A. Issue all zoning certificates and make and maintain records thereof;
B. Issue all certificates of occupancy, and make and maintain records thereof;
C. Conduct inspections of buildings, structures, and use of land to determine compliance with the terms of this Title;
D. Maintain permanent and current records of this Title, including, but not limited to, all maps, amendments, conditional uses, variances, appeals, and applications therefore;
E. Provide and maintain a public information bureau relative to all matters arising out of this Title;
F. Forward to the City Plan Commission all applications for conditional uses and for amendments to this Title that are initially filed with the office of the Building Inspector;
G. Forward to the Board of appeals application for appeals, variances, or other matters on which the Board of Appeals is required to pass under this Title;
H. Issue permits regulating the erection and use of tents for a period not to exceed ten (10) days fro specific purposes such as: temporary carnivals, churches, charities, and revival meetings which are not detrimental to the public health, safety, morals, comfort, convenience, or general welfare; provided, however, that said tents or operations are in conformance with all other ordinances and codes of the City;
10-1-4 10-1-5
I. Allow parking lots in residence districts to be illuminated between the hours of ten o’clock (10:00) P.M. and seven o’clock (7:00) A.M. when necessary for the public safety or welfare;
J. Initiate, direct, and review, from time to time, a study of the provisions of this Title, and to make reports of its recommendations to the City Plan Commission not less frequently than once a year; and
K. Issue building permits only after verifying that storm water management rules (Administrative Rule 02-01) have been followed.
A. Issue all zoning certificates and make and maintain records thereof;
B. Issue all certificates of occupancy, and make and maintain records thereof;
C. Conduct inspections of buildings, structures, and use of land to determine compliance with the terms of this Title;
D. Maintain permanent and current records of this Title, including, but not limited to, all maps, amendments, conditional uses, variances, appeals, and applications therefore;
E. Provide and maintain a public information bureau relative to all matters arising out of this Title;
F. Forward to the City Plan Commission all applications for conditional uses and for amendments to this Title that are initially filed with the office of the Building Inspector;
G. Forward to the Board of appeals application for appeals, variances, or other matters on which the Board of Appeals is required to pass under this Title;
H. Issue permits regulating the erection and use of tents for a period not to exceed ten (10) days fro specific purposes such as: temporary carnivals, churches, charities, and revival meetings which are not detrimental to the public health, safety, morals, comfort, convenience, or general welfare; provided, however, that said tents or operations are in conformance with all other ordinances and codes of the City;
10-1-4 10-1-5
I. Allow parking lots in residence districts to be illuminated between the hours of ten o’clock (10:00) P.M. and seven o’clock (7:00) A.M. when necessary for the public safety or welfare;
J. Initiate, direct, and review, from time to time, a study of the provisions of this Title, and to make reports of its recommendations to the City Plan Commission not less frequently than once a year; and
K. Issue building permits only after verifying that storm water management rules (Administrative Rule 02-01) have been followed.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
The Point of Conflict
Code Enforcement is the commitment to provide safe, healthy and attractive living conditions for all of the residents of Lake Mills by ensuring the community's maintenance and integrity through the enforcement of City Codes. Code Enforcement is responsible for implementing all city ordinances.
City Code is a set of minimum standards that strive to balance the rights of the individual with the needs and rights of other citizens as determined by the City Council.
When a Code Enforcement Officer receives a complaint or notices a violation, it is investigated to determine if a violation notice, or some immediate corrective action, is needed to correct the problem. If immediate actions become necessary, it is usually because the violation involves an eminent hazard or threat to life, health or safety. When such a situation does not exist, a Notice of Violation is generally mailed to the responsible party, informing them that an alleged violation has been reported. Since voluntary compliance is a top priority, you should contact the Code Enforcement Division immediately after the receipt of a Notice of Violation so that the information can be verified. A Code Enforcement Officer will help you to understand the reasons for the notice and advise you of what options exist in order to resolve the violation. During the course of investigating a complaint, a Code Enforcement Officer may conduct an on-site inspection or coordinate one or more visits to your property. Formal legal and/or corrective actions may be required in the event that cooperative attempts to resolve a violation are exhausted.
In most instances, the City formally notifies the property owner and starts working with them to resolve the violation. Typically, after conducting an on-site inspection, the City will notify the owner that a complaint has been received alleging that certain violations of the City Code exists on his or her property. The property owner is requested to provide a response indicating that they will resolve the violation in an acceptable time frame, that the violation has been resolved, or that the property was not in violation. If the owner chooses not to work with the City to cooperatively resolve the violation, a more formal legal process will be initiated which may take an extended time to fully resolve. Unless other arrangements are made with a Code Enforcement Officer, it is requested that in nonhazardous situations you wait a minimum of 30 days after filing the complaint before checking on the its status, This will allow adequate time to investigate the matter, visit the site, contact the property owner, and attempt resolution of the violation.
Codes generally provide an appeal process for parties facing code enforcement. The notice of violation will state what code is being violated. The code is on the city’s website and information regarding the violation and appeal process will be in the code.
City Code is a set of minimum standards that strive to balance the rights of the individual with the needs and rights of other citizens as determined by the City Council.
When a Code Enforcement Officer receives a complaint or notices a violation, it is investigated to determine if a violation notice, or some immediate corrective action, is needed to correct the problem. If immediate actions become necessary, it is usually because the violation involves an eminent hazard or threat to life, health or safety. When such a situation does not exist, a Notice of Violation is generally mailed to the responsible party, informing them that an alleged violation has been reported. Since voluntary compliance is a top priority, you should contact the Code Enforcement Division immediately after the receipt of a Notice of Violation so that the information can be verified. A Code Enforcement Officer will help you to understand the reasons for the notice and advise you of what options exist in order to resolve the violation. During the course of investigating a complaint, a Code Enforcement Officer may conduct an on-site inspection or coordinate one or more visits to your property. Formal legal and/or corrective actions may be required in the event that cooperative attempts to resolve a violation are exhausted.
In most instances, the City formally notifies the property owner and starts working with them to resolve the violation. Typically, after conducting an on-site inspection, the City will notify the owner that a complaint has been received alleging that certain violations of the City Code exists on his or her property. The property owner is requested to provide a response indicating that they will resolve the violation in an acceptable time frame, that the violation has been resolved, or that the property was not in violation. If the owner chooses not to work with the City to cooperatively resolve the violation, a more formal legal process will be initiated which may take an extended time to fully resolve. Unless other arrangements are made with a Code Enforcement Officer, it is requested that in nonhazardous situations you wait a minimum of 30 days after filing the complaint before checking on the its status, This will allow adequate time to investigate the matter, visit the site, contact the property owner, and attempt resolution of the violation.
Codes generally provide an appeal process for parties facing code enforcement. The notice of violation will state what code is being violated. The code is on the city’s website and information regarding the violation and appeal process will be in the code.
Friday, October 1, 2010
Simple Decision
The City of Lake Mills has many policies and practices followed to provide fair and equal treatment to each person whether rich or poor, man or woman, liberal or conservative. Groups of people move in and out of the policy development and implementation processes of the City without substantial tax changes.
New Council members generally fail to initially see that changes in policy on one issue can have different effects on varying sections of the population. Small cities can have a constant policy primeval soup cooking all the time without ever mentioning policy. In one meeting here, the entire history of requiring property owners to provide their own on-site improvements to match upgrades to city facilities is now out the door by having one small influential group pressure a divided council.
The ripples into special assessments, sump pump disconnections and related privately required improvements will now need to be revisited with every program and project. Policy implications now must be applied consistently to all similarly situated residents and programs. Tax costs will rise for all residents of the city and expenses to the individual property owner will be reduced. Theoretically, this is a more socialistic practice inconsistent with the Council members' overall political motivations – which is alright if it is practiced consistently regardless of political influence. Historically, the poor have had less influence on policy decisions than the rich. Will the Council decide not to provide similar options in poorer neighborhoods? Historically, the city has treated people the same – whether rich or poor; residential, commercial or industrial – private or public. Now the soup is going to take on new dimensions that I don’t think was deeply thought about when the decision was made.
Hopefully, we judge the merits of each case as well as the power, influence, pressure and strategy of the situation.
New Council members generally fail to initially see that changes in policy on one issue can have different effects on varying sections of the population. Small cities can have a constant policy primeval soup cooking all the time without ever mentioning policy. In one meeting here, the entire history of requiring property owners to provide their own on-site improvements to match upgrades to city facilities is now out the door by having one small influential group pressure a divided council.
The ripples into special assessments, sump pump disconnections and related privately required improvements will now need to be revisited with every program and project. Policy implications now must be applied consistently to all similarly situated residents and programs. Tax costs will rise for all residents of the city and expenses to the individual property owner will be reduced. Theoretically, this is a more socialistic practice inconsistent with the Council members' overall political motivations – which is alright if it is practiced consistently regardless of political influence. Historically, the poor have had less influence on policy decisions than the rich. Will the Council decide not to provide similar options in poorer neighborhoods? Historically, the city has treated people the same – whether rich or poor; residential, commercial or industrial – private or public. Now the soup is going to take on new dimensions that I don’t think was deeply thought about when the decision was made.
Hopefully, we judge the merits of each case as well as the power, influence, pressure and strategy of the situation.
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