Elginites let code enforcers know what bothers them most

What bothers Elginites the most about those who break the city's building and zoning codes? Peeling paint or cars parked in the yard? Landscaping trailers parked in the driveway or cars being repaired there? Overgrown vacant lots or houses with too many families living in them and too many cars parked on the street?

To find out, city officials held a "Code Compliance Issue Identification Meeting" Monday at The Centre of Elgin. About 35 residents attended, filling out a six-page survey stating which code violations most irritate them in their neighborhood and which most irritate them throughout the city. They also got a chance to identify specific problem sites and to discuss the city staff's new approach to code enforcement, which Community Development Director Marc Mylott said is called "Code 2.0."

Mylott said all that will lead up to a four-hour instruction session for anyone interested that will be called "the Code Compliance Academy." Identical academy sessions will be offered at least twice in 2017.

"We know what issues we cite most often. But what is most important to you?" Mylott asked the crowd.

Mary Kemerling, who lives in the Valley Creek subdivision, said people park commercial vehicles in front of their homes after dark, then leave early in the morning. Thus the vehicles are there through the night but aren't present when inspectors drive through the area in the daytime. Mylott said that although the code department's seven employees tour each neighborhood, the staff also depends on neighbors to point out violations - especially if those are in a backyard and invisible from the public street.

Mark Clemens, from the Lords Park area, asked if residents can look up whether a specific property has a license to operate as a rental property. Mylott said legitimate rentals are listed at cityofelgin.org, by clicking on City Services, then Code Enforcement, then Rental License Information.

Asked how city officials verify whether a residence is illegally overcrowded with multiple families, Mylott said, "We can knock and talk, and people are surprisingly willing to speak to us and admit" who lives there. He said inspectors also take note of which cars are parked in the driveway and find out from their license registration who they are owned by and what those car owners gave as their home addresses.

But such investigations also are assisted greatly by tips from neighbors, Mylott added - and state law forbids revealing which neighbor levied a code complaint.

Mylott said most complaints are handled through a quasi-judicial process called adjudication, in which the adjudicator has power to fine a violator but not to order a building to be torn down or to bring criminal charges. "That sounds like we're being kinder and gentler" to violators, he said, "but no, it's just more efficient" than the expensive and slow process of taking a violator into the circuit court.

But, he said, "Code 2.0" and the Code Compliance Academy are part of a move by city officials from punishing violators to educating people about what the city expects and thus preventing violations.