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2007-2008MINUTES WORK SESSION CITY COUNCIL TASK FORCE ON CODE ENFORCEMENT CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS 107 E. KAUFMAN STREET PARIS, TEXAS WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 1, 2007 5:30 O'CLOCK P.M. 1. The City Council Task Force on Code Enforcement was called to order by Will Biard. A. The following members were present: Will Biard Don Wilson Steve Brown B. Will Biard announced that the first order of business was to elect a Chairman. Steve Brown nominated Don Wilson, seconded by Will Biard. Motion carried 2 -0. 2. Discussion and consideration of appointments to the City Council Task Force on Code Enforcement. Chairman Wilson thanked the crowd for attending and participating in this effort. He stated that the purpose of the Task Force is not to get into complaints about who didn't return phone calls; instead, it's a forum for citizen input and to help us gain partnerships to clean up the town. He stated that the staff can't do it all. He said that this will take time because we have a lot to cover. The Task Force will do this by breaking into several sessions, undertaking a needs assessment, and reviewing existing ordinances. He said that this will be like the Charter Committee. It will take two or three months, but we want to do this right, and we need the people's help to assist in implementing what comes out of the Task Force. He stated that there was already negative press against this, complaining that fixing the infrastructure was more important. He advised those in attendance that fixing the infrastructure is under different rules and under a different budget. He said we are not taking away from one to do the other. We can do both at one time. He asked the crowd to please sign up and volunteer. He stated there will be 11 to 13 members appointed by the City Council either on the 13th or the later meeting in August. 3. Discussion and consideration of the goals and objectives of the City Council Task Force on Code Enforcement. Chairman Wilson then walked those in attendance through a PowerPoint presentation and covered the following topics: A. Propero� Rights - Chairman Wilson asked who had more rights, the person who kept their property neat and clean or the neighbor across the street who had been working on his house for over three years. B. Storage and Trash in the Front Yard, on the Front Porch, and in Carports and Garages - Chairman Wilson showed several photos of properties around town with junk and storage at the front of the house. C. Junked Vehicles - Chairman Wilson showed photos of vehicles with windows busted out, and properties with several junked vehicles parked all over them. D. Parking in the Front Yard - Chairman Wilson showed photos of properties with people parking vehicles on the grass and blocking public sidewalks. E. Recreational Vehicle Parking - Chairman Wilson asked Lisa Wright to explain the current ordinance. She stated that the existing ordinance was written in 1.970 or earlier, and it states that no travel trailer is permitted to be parked anywhere inside the city limits. She stated that, to her knowledge, the ordinance has not been enforced in quite some time. She showed a photographs of two travel trailers, one parked on the street, and one parked on a concrete pad with a covered garage. She stated that the dilemma Code Enforcement has with these is in how to deal with them. One may be stored better than the other; however, technically, neither is supposed to be stored inside the city. F. Fences in Front Yards - Chairman Wilson showed photos of incomplete fences and chain link fences on corner lots with shrubbery so high that it could create a traffic hazard. G. Fencing Materials - Chairman Wilson showed photos of wire fences with barbed wire on top and construction fences used in front yards. He asked if the community thought this kind of material was okay. H. Swimming Pools and Playground Equipment in the Front Yard - Chairman Wilson showed photos of plastic swimming pools in front yards. He stated that this was an attractive nuisance to children and could create some liability for the property owner. I. High Grass and Weeds - Chairman Wilson showed photos of yards that were mowed; however, the property owners did not mow the drainage ditch on their lot. He stated that education is needed to inform people that they own the ditches and the city is not responsible for their upkeep. J. Brush and Limbs - Chairman Wilson showed photos of limbs that were piled improperly on the property and could not be picked up by Sanitation. K. Railroad Rights -of- -way - Chairman Wilson showed photos of Railroad property that was overgrown. He stated that this was something the City would have to work with Railroads on. L. Signs - Chairman Wilson showed photos of abandoned signs, signs hanging over the streets, and a sign on the side of a truck parked along the highway. M. Demolition by Neglect - Chairman Wilson showed photos of structures that were deteriorating because the property owners were not maintaining them. Ken Kohls asked if requiring repairs could run counter to Historic Preservation requirements. Chairman Wilson said that was something the Task Force would need to look into. N. Incomplete or Abandoned Demolition or Building Projects - Chairman Wilson showed photos of projects that had been incomplete for some time. He stated that the Task Force needs to consider recommending that demolition companies place a bond with the City so that, if they don't complete a demolition and they leave a mess behind, the City can complete the job using their bond. O. Illegal Dumping - Chairman Wilson showed photos of lots where mattresses and sofas had been dumped. P. Dust free Parking - Chairman Wilson showed photos of a paved lot and a lot with gravel. Q. Trash Pickup - Chairman Wilson showed photos of construction debris placed on the curb, stating that the debris in one of the photos remained on the curb for over two weeks because the City cannot pick up this kind of material. He also showed photos of trash that was placed behind the curb where Sanitation cannot pick it up and piles that were placed out improperly. R. Building Permits - Chairman Wilson showed photos of accessory buildings placed without permits that were too close to the neighbors' property lines. S. Zoning — Commercial Activities in a Residential Area - Chairman Wilson showed photos of commercial and industrial activities that were next to people's homes. Chairman Wilson again requested that everyone in the room volunteer to help with the effort. He stated that the staff would be at the next meeting to answer any questions. He stated that the City is looking into software programs to help receive citizen reports. Carl Harcrowe stated that property owners have problems getting items taken to the landfill unless they do the work themselves. He said you have to provide a copy of your water bill and license, so a property owner can't hire someone to clean up their yard for them. He recommended that the compost site stay open later. Chairman Wilson said we need to consider if we can turn this into a revenue producer. We need to treat both . sides fairly, the taxpayers and the people using the service. We have to decide how much service we want. He stated that just passing an ordinance doesn't work. The City needs to participate and not hide behind the rules, and we need to detennine as a city how much we want to pay for that. He said that we want input, and we need to respond appropriately and detennine what resources we need in order to be able to do that. He said that it all goes back to education. He recognized Pete Kampfer from the PEDC and said that Pete has a difficult job selling Paris when they see the condition of the town. If we want businesses, we have to clean up. Chairman Wilson stated that there will be seven members, one from each district and four at -large members. There will also be representatives from volunteer organizations. He then opened the floor and asked the crowd if there was anything they thought the Task Force needed to look into that was not covered tonight. Other items mentioned by the crowd included: A. City -owned property B. Animal control - Chainnan Wilson said this was probably something that needed to be looked into separately instead of by this group. C. Semi- trucks parked in residential neighborhoods - Karl Louis stated that we need to look into the ordinance and see if it needs updating. D. Reporting code violation via e -mail - Chairman Wilson stated that a member of the IT Department would be on the Task Force. E. Increase the budget to add more people F. Have a representative from the County Attorney's Office on the Task Force - Karl Louis stated that, if a person appeals a court case, it just sits in the D.A.'s office or gets dismissed. We could have our Assistant City Attorney prosecute under the D.A.'s direction. G. Grass clippings in the street H. Code enforcement tickets I. Weeds on curb and gutter J. Require that trash be put in bags K. Drainage ditches L. Livestock inside the city limits 4. Meeting adjourned at 6 :45 p.m. APPROVED THIS 6TH DAY OF SEPTEMBER, 2007. DON WILSON, CHAIRMAN MINUTES WORK SESSION CITY COUNCIL TASK FORCE ON CODE ENFORCEMENT 107 E. KAUFMAN STREET PARIS, TEXAS TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2007 1. The City Council Task Force on Code Enforcement was called to order by Don Wilson. A. The following members were present: Don Wilson, Chairman Steve Brown Will Biard Bruce Frazier Oscar Johnson Jim Lassiter Don B. Taylor Charles Richards John S. House Cheryt Moore Zachary Saffle Charles Fulbright Bee Gannon B. The following members were absent: Jerome Pipkins Chris Brown Marilyn Bellevance Pete Kampfer C. Also present was Lisa Wright, Director of Community Development; Kent McIlyar, City Attorney; Kevin Carruth, City Manager; Janice Ellis, City Clerk; Todd Varner, Code Enforcement Officer; Robert Talley, Code Enforcement Officer; Rick Hundley, Building Official; John Lestock, Assistant City Attorney /Municipal Court Prosecutor; John Brunson, Assistant Public Works Director; Vance Woodard, Fire Marshall; and Matt Birch, Police Officer. 2. Approval of minutes from previous meetings. Charles Richards referred the Committee to page two, paragraph two and stated the removal time should be 30 days. Subject to the correction, a Motion to approve the minutes was made by Jim Lassister and seconded by Don Taylor. Motion carried unanimously. 3. Discussion of and possible action on recommending revisions to the Sign Ordinance as it relates to electronic signs, billboards, and other off - premise advertising. As requested by City Council, Chairman Wilson advised the Committee they would be discussing and making recommendations on this item as it related to the electronic signs. He stated that review of the other signs would require a lot of additional time and would be reviewed at a later date. Lisa Wright showed a video depicting sign issues and their effect on cities. Chairman Wilson cited the sign issues as being color; brightness; and the length of time an image is held including simple text and animation. Mr. Wilson said he had spoken with a sign company representative and learned that the average time was ten seconds. Gary Forrest with Forrest Signs asked if the sign on the loop is what started the restrictions on the signs. Chairman Wilson said it was not and went on to say that someone wanted to install a large animated sign. Mr. Forrest asked if current signs would be grandfathered. Chairman Wilson said the size could be grandfathered, but that the length of time, scrolling, brightness and animation would be restricted as outlined in the ordinance. Gary Forrest wanted to know why there was a need to regulate the signs. Cheryt Moore said Paris did not need to take on the appearance of Las Vegas. Bruce Frazier asked for an explanation of what the State was proposing in way of regulating signs. Lisa Wright reported the Texas Department of Transportation was proposing the following: a. Electronic signs may be located on either side of the highway; however, each sign must only be visible from one direction of travel; b. Each message on an electronic sign shall be displayed for at least eight seconds and a change of message shall be accomplished within two seconds; C. A change of message must occur simultaneously on the entire sign face; and d. An electronic sign may not include more than 20 different displays per cycle, excluding emergency displays and public service announcements. A Motion to limit the message to eight seconds, that the change of message take place within two seconds and eliminate drop -ins was made by Charles Richards and seconded by Don Taylor and Jim Lassiter. There was additional discussion regarding time and temperature. Charles Richards amended his Motion to include an exception to the regulation would be that the temperature could be displayed every three seconds. Don Taylor seconded the Motion. Motion carried unanimously. There was brief discussion between the Committee and Barbara Onstott, Vice President of Marketing for Datatronic Control, Inc. with regard to the size of the signs. A Motion was made by Oscar Johnson to allow signs up to a maximum size of 32 square feet on Loop 286 and signs up to a maximum 10 square feet in the other areas. The Motion was seconded by Charles Fulbright. Motion carried unanimously. Next Chairman Wilson directed the Committee's attention to the height of the signs. Lisa Wright suggested a maximum of twelve feet on ground signs and allowance of pole signs only on Loop 286 with a maximum allowance of thirty feet. After further discussion of the height, Bee Gannon made a Motion that a the height of a ground sign be limited to a maximum of 8 feet above grade and Don Taylor seconded the Motion. Motion carried unanimously. The Committee also discussed the height of ground signs on Loop 286. Cheryt Moore made a Motion to limit the height of ground signs to a maximum of 12 feet above grade and Jim Lassister seconded the Motion. Motion carried unanimously. Lisa Wright asked the Committee to consider prohibition of the signs in the Historic District. Bee Gannon made a Motion to prohibit electronic signs in the Historic District and Don Taylor seconded the Motion. Motion carried unanimously. It was a consensus of the Committee to not regulate the color of the signs. Next, the Committee discussed brightness of signs. Will Biard said he had a problem with the definition of "reasonable person standard" and thought they should be more specific. Chairman Wilson suggested defining the standard as 5,000 NITS. Barbara Onstott said if the sign worked properly the brightness would not be a problem, because the signs are self - adjusting. Kent McIlyar pointed out that the State recommended "no electronic sign shall be illuminated to an intensity which causes glare or brightness to a degree that could constitute a hazard or nuisance to a motor vehicle operator on a public roadway." A Motion to approve the State's recommendation was made by Bee Garmon and seconded by Bruce Frazier and Charles Richards. Motion carried unanimously. In addition, the Committee discussed the electricity of the electronic signs. A Motion that underground electrical service be required was made by Charles Richards and seconded by Don Taylor. Motion carried unanimously. 4. Discussion of and possible action on recommending provisions regulating outdoor storage. Chairman Wilson stated that the Committee had been in session for two hours and they would discuss outdoor storage at their next meeting. 5. Receipt of report from the Code Enforcement Education Committee. Chairman Wilson said they would receive the report at their next meeting. 6. Request items for future agendas. Chairman Wilson scheduled the next meeting for Tuesday, October 30'h at 5:00 p.m. 7. Adjournment. There being no further business, a Motion to adjourn was made by Zach Saffle and seconded by Oscar Johnson. Motion carried unanimously. The meeting was adjourned at 7:10 p.m. APPROVED THIS 30TH DAY OF OCTOBER, 2007. 4 X� 461- Don Wilson, Chairman MINUTES WORK SESSION CITY COUNCIL TASK FORCE ON CODE ENFORCEMENT 107 E. KAUFMAN STREET PARIS, TEXAS TUESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2007 Call meeting order and roll call. The City Council Task Force on Code Enforcement was called to order by Chairman Wilson at 5:00 p.m. A. The following members were present: Don Wilson, Chairman Steve Brown Will Biard Bruce Frazier Jim Lassiter Don B. Taylor Charles Richards John S. House Marilyn Bellevance Pete Kampfer Charles Fulbright Bee Gannon B. The following members were absent: Oscar Johnson Jerome Pipkins Chris Brown Cheryt Moore Zachary Saffle C. Also present was Lisa Wright, Director of Community Development; Kent McIlyar, City Attorney; Kevin Carruth, City Manager; Janice Ellis, City Clerk; Todd Varner, Code Enforcement Officer; Robert Talley, Code Enforcement Officer; John Lestock, Assistant City Attorney /Municipal Court Prosecutor; Ronnie Grooms, Fire Chief; Karl Louis, Police Chief, and Matt Birch, Police Officer. 2. Approval of minutes from previous meetings (October 16, 2007). Chairman Wilson referred the Committee to page two of the minutes of October 16 ' , wherein it was stated that Charles Richards made a motion to limit the message to eight seconds. Chairman Wilson said the motion was seconded by Don Taylor, not himself. Subject to the correction, a Motion to approve the minutes was made by Will Biard and seconded by Don Taylor. Motion carried unanimously. Chairman Wilson stated there was unfinished business that he wished to discuss with regard to the writing of citations. He asked Kent McIlyar when the code enforcement officers would be able to issue citations for violations. Kent stated there would be an Ordinance brought before City Council on November 12t' addressing that issue. Chairman Wilson moved the Committee to item 4. 4. Receipt of report from the Code Enforcement Education Committee. Pete Kampfer presented a report from the Education Committee addressing the costs and circulation of the brochures (See Exhibit "A "). In addition, he presented to the Committee an example of the brochure (See Exhibit `B "). Chairman Wilson asked Pete to have the Education Committee review all of the information and bring back a recommendation to the Task Force. Pete said he would have it ready for the next meeting. 3. Discussion of and possible action on recommending provisions regulating outdoor storage. Lisa Wright gave a slide presentation depicting photographs of storage and trash in front yards; storage and trash on front porches; storage and trash in carports and garages; and swimming pools and playground equipment in front yards. Lisa informed the Committee that the City currently did not have an Ordinance that dealt with these types of problems. Chairman Wilson wanted to know if an Ordinance was passed prohibiting storage in the front yard and subsequently a citation was issued, would the City then be permitted to go on the property and remove the items. Kent McIlyar advised prior to doing so, there would have to be a nuisance abatement. He explained that issuance of a citation was a Class C misdemeanor criminal offense filed with the Municipal Court and was punishable by a fine of up to $2,000.00. Kent further explained that in the past complaints were filed with the Municipal Court, but that if the new Ordinance was adopted it would give code enforcement officers the ability to write citations when they viewed a violation. The Committee discussed the problem of continuous garage sales and more specifically, the house in which blue tarps were placed over items that were being sold on a continuous basis. Lisa Wright said the outdoor storage Ordinance would specifically set out what items could not be stored outdoors. Charles Fulbright inquired about issuance of citations for garage sales. Chairman Wilson stated citizens were allowed three garage sales per year for two consecutive days; however there were many people who left the items out and continued to sell them. Marilyn Bellevance expressed concern about items being placed in back yards and being an eyesore to neighbors. Chairman Wilson said they could come back later and address other issues, but he thought they needed to address front yards and porches first. He also said they would get a lot of opposition and needed to address these issues one a time. Charles Richards wanted to know if there were legitimate uses for outdoor storage. Lisa Wright said there were legitimate uses, such as businesses like Walmart. Chairman Wilson said he thought the Committee should focus on residential and planned development when it is located next to residential. Chairman Wilson pointed out photographs of sofas, mattresses, washers and dryers, as well as one portable closet being stored on front porches. Chairman Wilson stated that if furniture was outside of a house, that it should be weatherproof. Charles Richards wanted to know how you could keep someone from placing a chair on the front porch to enjoy the evening. Chairman Wilson said he was not talking about something brought outside for the weekend. Chairman Wilson said the Committee needed to decide whether or not they wanted to regulate or accept carports being used for outdoor storage. He also said they should address whether or not to screen properties. Charles Richards wanted to know if there was one particular ordinance obtained from other cities that staff preferred. Chairman Wilson referred the Committee to the City of Farmers Branch Ordinance, specifically option (1), items A through I. The Committee discussed adding swimming pools and playground equipment to the list of items prohibited in the front yard. Don Taylor questioned if they would run into the same opposition as with the sign ordinance. Chairman Wilson stated the Committee should not be intimidated, but do the best j ob they could and move forward. Kevin Carruth pointed out an electronic sign was a fixed asset and that a swimming pool was not. Bee Garmon suggested that all Committee members attend the Council meeting in which the Ordinance would be considered. Chairman Wilson reiterated the Committee should do what they think is right. Charles Richards said he would like to hear from citizens who were in attendance. Marva Joe, 1610 17 ' N.E., told the Committee she supported their efforts in cleaning up the city. S.T. Smeltzer, 2430 W. Austin, said a few doors down from his house a neighbor had a garbage dump in his yard. Mr. Smeltzer said he personally sprayed West Paris and that he supported the Committee. Bradley McKinnon, 535 W. Shiloh, said that the west side of Paris needed to be made better and the Casa Bonita Apartments needed to be torn down. Chairman Wilson assured him that they were working on the Casa Bonita problem. Chairman Wilson stated staff had provided the Task Force with example Ordinances from other cities and he asked for suggestions. Lisa Wright recommended they adopt a new Ordinance instead of amending the Zoning Ordinance. Chairman Wilson suggested they regulate outside storage on residential, Single Family 1, Single Family 2, Multi- Family, Planned Development and Neighborhood Service. Charles Richards made a Motion to regulate outdoor storage on residential, Single Family 1, Single Family 2, Multi - Family, Planned Development and Neighborhood Service. The Motion failed for lack of a second. There was additional discussion of ordinances from other cities. Bee Garmon thought it was a good ideal to review the ordinances and bring back recommendations. Chairman Wilson asked staff to review the information and bring back to the Committee a proposal. Chairman Wilson scheduled the next meeting for November 13t' at 5:00 p.m. 5. Request items for future agendas. Lisa Wright reminded the Task Force that they wanted to discuss streamlining of procedures. Chairman Wilson said they also needed an item dealing with demolition by neglect in historic districts. 6. Adjournment. There being no further business, a Motion to adjourn was made by Jim Lassister and seconded by John House. Motion carried unanimously. The meeting was adjourned at 7:00 p.m. APPROVED THIS 13TH DAY OF NOVEMBER, 2007. -4 Von, Don Wilson, Chairman Task Force for Code Enforcement Committee: Education Date: October 16, 2007 Chairperson: Pete Kampfer Members: Bee Garmon, Cheryt Moore, Marilyn Bellevance and Bruce Frazier We submit a draft brochure to show the Task Force what our thoughts are in putting something together to send out. This can be tailored to fit our needs. Research has been done to determine the best way to get the word out. According to the Post office, there are 6,300 residences more or less inside the city limits that receive mail. We found that there are several ways to send brochures out to every residence in Paris 1) US POST OFFICE: A: Purchase a mailing list to correspond to the USPS delivery route $? B. Print address on each piece to be mailed out C. Cost of $.177 per each piece postage @ 6300 $1115 2) SHOPPER'S EDGE A. Insert into their mailout to all residences $42 per 1000 X 6300 $265 B. Purchase one full page %2 size normal paper size $580 3) POSTAL OPTIONS A. Their lists have 8339 within the city. (Includes businesses) B. The charge is $.286 per piece ready to go $2385 (They charge.06 for labels plus $.226 per piece) 4) VOLUNTEER LABOR A. Purchase Labels from the City Water Dept $ B. Get volunteers to put on labels, fold and tab C. Bulk rate mail $.246 per pc X 9000 $2214 We have contacted several sources to find the best way to get pieces printed. Exhibit "A" �J d E cC .O L •� a CL IM W V 4) 0 O L CD M E 0 i @ O m a= N 7 E 00 c m Q d O 4w cn O , o Q i- E O cn Q L y.. * O y O L tlT 0 t ~ = E cu V U) O A (MD 'O N =3 U CL O Q O t� U p w O O L.:, U L •� > O >' Y E G1 U Q 0 N CV a) N •0 Q) J 0 O L CD M m w 0 i @ O m a= N 7 04 00 0 m U O O O 1 N �_ - a) C L Y.r N 7 (� 0 m m co C: Z: -0 v 4w . J o Q Co co cv 0) -ate �? 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E L (n � 0 " E ° c c c y�o O U 0 , ( c U ° U a u � l � � ' � c 0 w= (. o 0) 4 p E - ) (6 U C a) 0 0 4— -0 - ° 3 C C6 C 2 � .c O) = >, Q) CQ CB +�. .L (6 Q � v7 � C -0 O.0) � �.0 O C C Of � t11 �� cn� � � 0 ;a).0 �, 3 c -C a) C L >, (n cu L _0 e) U � �? Q cn Q (a cn c a- � MINUTES WORK SESSION CITY COUNCIL TASK FORCE ON CODE ENFORCEMENT 107 E. KAUFMAN STREET PARIS, TEXAS TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2007 1. Call meeting to order and roll call. The City Council Task Force on Code Enforcement was called to order by Chairman Wilson at 5:00 p.m. A. The following members were present: Don Wilson, Chairman Will Biard Bruce Frazier Jim Lassiter Charles Richards John S. House Marilyn Bellevance Judy Daniels, representing Pete Kampfer Bee Gannon Oscar Johnson Cheryt Moore Zachary Saffle B. The following members were absent: Jerome Pipkins Chris Brown Don B. Taylor Charles Fulbright Steve Brown C. Also present was Lisa Wright, Director of Community Development; Kent McIlyar, City Attorney; Kevin Carruth, City Manager; Janice Ellis, City Clerk; Todd Varner, Code Enforcement Officer; Robert Talley, Code Enforcement Officer; John Lestock, Assistant City Attorney/Municipal Court Prosecutor; Ronnie Grooms, Fire Chief; and Matt Birch, Police Officer. 2. Approval of minutes from previous meetings (October 30, 2007). Chairman Wilson said David House should be changed to reflect John House in the last paragraph. Subject to the correction, a Motion to approve the minutes was made by Bee Gannon and seconded by Jim Lassister. Motion carried unanimously. 3. Continued discussion of and possible action on recommending provisions regulating outdoor storage. Staff presented the Committee with a draft of an Outside Storage Ordinance containing example provisions from other cities. After review and discussion, the Committee elected to make the following changes: Definitions: (a) Outside storage. The outside placement of an article for a period in excess of 72 hours during a twelve (12) month period, other than those items permitted by this article. A definition for "front porch and setback" will be added to the Ordinance. (1) Prohibited Outside Storage: Charles Richards asked that the zoning abbreviations be written out, so that they could be more easily understood by the public. A section will be added to include plumbing fixtures. e. The sentence will end with "designed or intended for outdoor use." g. An exception will be added that will allow basketball goals, as long as they are not placed in a location that will require children to use the street as the play court. h. This section will be deleted. i. After the words "residential use," the words "prohibit in front and side yards." will be added. (2) It shall be an affirmative defense to prosecution: a. Shall read: Such storage is screened from the view of adjacent streets and adjacent properties by a solid fence, wall, landscaping, or a combination of fence and landscaping. b. Language will be added to include a restriction of three months and new construction will be excluded. Also, language will be added giving staff the ability to grant extensions. e.1,3 & 4. These sections will be deleted. e.2 This section will be combined with the main sentence. 3. Outside storage, when permitted under this section b. Shall read: Will be screened from view of public streets. There will be language added to include the front porch and front yard. Lisa Wright confirmed there was no need to include in the ordinance any screening provisions, since outdoor storage was being entirely prohibited. Council Member Biard agreed. Staff was instructed to make revisions to the Ordinance and include same in the next Agenda packet. 4. Discussion of and possible action on recommending provisions regarding demolition by neglect and /or the possible adoption of the International Maintenance Code. The Task Force did not reach this item. 5. Receipt of report from the Code Enforcement Education Committee. On behalf of the Education Committee, Bee Garmon presented a report from Pete Kampfer addressing the costs and circulation of the brochures (See Exhibit "A "). 6. Request items for future agendas. Chairman Wilson scheduled the next meeting for Tuesday, November 27, 2007, at 5:00 p.m. 7. Adjournment. There being no farther business, a Motion to adjourn was made by John House and seconded by Cheryt Moore. Motion carried unanimously. The meeting was adjourned at 7:00 p.m. APPROVED THIS 27TH DAY OF NOVEMBER, 2007. — a a47z� Don Wilson, Chairman Education Committee: Task Force for Code Enforcement Date: November 8,2007 Chairperson: Pete Kampfer Members: Bee Garmon, Cheryt Moore, Marilyn Bellevance and Bruce Frazier A meeting was held at the Chamber of Commerce with all members present. Discussion of the best way to distribute the brochures was lengthy, with no one way being decided as the best. It was decided that utilizing several ways would be more effective in reaching the most of our citizens. Schools, newspapers, TV, radio in addition to mailing out the brochures will have more effective coverage, since not all citizens subscribe to any one type of media to get their news and information. Printing 10,000 brochures will cost aprox. from Kwik Kopy which gave us the best price. If we can get the labels from the city offices to mail to all water customers we approximate that the Postage for 8339 households will bi�, Total Exhibit "A" $1,100 $1,476 $2,576 MINUTES WORK SESSION CITY COUNCIL TASK FORCE ON CODE ENFORCEMENT 107 E. KAUFMAN STREET PARIS, TEXAS TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2007 1. Call meeting to order and roll call. The City Council Task Force on Code Enforcement was called to order by Chairman Wilson at 5:00 p.m. A. The following members were present: Don Wilson, Chairman Will Biard Steve Brown Bruce Frazier Jim Lassiter Charles Richards John S. House Marilyn Bellevance Pete Kampfer Bee Garmon Oscar Johnson Cheryt Moore Zachary Saffle Jerome Pipkins Don B. Taylor B. The following members were absent: Chris Brown Charles Fulbright C. Also present were Lisa Wright, Director of Community Development; Kent McIlyar, City Attorney; Kevin Carruth, City Manager; Janice Ellis, City Clerk; Todd Varner, Code Enforcement Officer; Robert Talley, Code Enforcement Officer; Rick Hundley, Building Official; John Lestock, Assistant City Attomey/Municipal Court Prosecutor; Ronnie Grooms, Fire Chief; and Karl Louis, Police Chief. Prior to moving to item 2, Chairman Wilson announced that Bob Bush wished to give a presentation. It was the opinion of Mr. Bush that if people were cited and subsequently fined within thirty days, they would cease to litter in the city. Mr. Bush also stated that he supported the efforts of the Task Force Committee. 2. Approval of minutes from previous meetings (November 13, 2007). Chairman Wilson asked if there were any corrections. There were none. A Motion to approve the minutes was made by Bee Gan-non and seconded by Zach Saffle. Motion carried unanimously. 3. Continued discussion of and possible action on recommending provisions regulating outdoor storage. Chairman Wilson advised the Committee that Draft #3 was in their packets; however, there was a need for language clarification and that Draft #4 of the proposed Ordinance had been placed before them. Chairman Wilson referred the Committee to the Section dealing with definitions. After review and discussion, the Committee elected to make the following changes to Draft #4: Definitions: (g) Setback. This definition was deleted. (h) (1) Prohibited outside storage. The words "for rodents or other vermin" will replace the words "for rodents of other vermin." (h)(6) Prohibited outside storage. The words "In the event of a tire dealership" will be deleted. (h)(8) Will be deleted. (h)(10) The word "pallets" will be added after casks. (h)(11) The words "or other vermin" will be added after rodent. Outside storage in One Family Dwelling No. 1 (SF -1), One - Family Dwelling No. 2 (SF- 2), One Family Dwelling No. 3 (SF -3, Two - Family Dwelling (2F), Multiple Family Dwelling No. 1 (MF -1, Multiple Family Dwelling No. 2 (MF -2, Neighborhood Service (NS, Parking (P), Office (0), or Historic (HD) Districts, and on lots adjacent to any lot on which a residential use occurs. (c) The words "any of the following items" will be inserted after the words "any portion of a lot or tracts." Under this section, (1) was deleted in its entirety and the letters a. through n. were changed to 1. through 15. 13. The words "side yard and" were added after the words "within the." Chairman Wilson asked if anyone had a problem with the changes thus far. There were none. Chairman Wilson asked for a vote on the above - referenced amendments. A Motion to approve Draft #4, with the amendments stated above was made by Steve Brown and seconded by Cheryt Moore. Motion carried unanimously. Chairman Wilson reviewed with the Committee the changes with regard to affirmative defense. (2) It shall be an affirmative defense to prosecution was changed to "It shall be an exception to the above ": b.2. This sentence will read as follows: "That such storage is not located in the front yard." b.3. The word "consecutive" will be deleted. b.4 The word "consecutive" will be deleted. g. Will be deleted in its entirety. Chairman Wilson asked if anyone had a problem with the changes made to the exceptions as listed above. There were none. Chairman Wilson asked for a vote on the modifications. A Motion to approve the modifications set out in (2) was made by Jim Lassister and seconded by Bee Gannon. Motion carried unanimously. Chairman Wilson moved to page 5 and addressed the section dealing with garage sales. He clarified that a person could not have more than three garage sales in twelve months and the garage sale could be no longer than seventy -two hours in duration. Chairman Wilson encouraged the Committee to make a recommendation to the City Council asking them to adopt the changes clarifying this provisions. A Motion to amend Section 15 -2, as written in Draft #4 was made by Charles Richards and seconded by Bruce Frazier. Motion carried unanimously. Outside storage in General Retail (GR), Central Area (CA) (only those areas not located in the Main Street Area), Commercial (C), Planned Development (PD), Light Industrial (LI), and Heavy Industrial (HI Districts Several members expressed concern over b.4. and the effect on local businesses [No area designated for off - street parking may be used for outside storage or display of merchandise]. Lisa Wright advised that the Zoning Ordinance would prohibit this. After further discussion, the Committee decided to delete b.4. in its entirety. A Motion to approve the amendments in this section was made by Charles Richards and seconded by Bee Gannon. Motion carried unanimously. Outside storage in the Main Street Area of the CA district Chairman Wilson asked if there were any changes. There were none. A Motion to approve the proposed changes in Draft #4 was made by Bee Gannon and seconded by Pete Kampfer. Subsequently, there was additional discussion and the following changes were made: A new number (2) was added to read: "It shall be unlawful for any person to allow, permit, conduct, or maintain any prohibited outside storage as defined herein." Number (2) will become number (3) and read as follows: "No item may be stored outside in the front, side or rear yards of any property in the Main Street area." Lisa Wright said she would add wording to make sure the City was not prohibiting dumpsters or approved trash receptacles in appropriate locations. Bee Gannon amended her Motion to approve the above changes and Pete Kampfer and Will Biard seconded the Motion. Motion carried unanimously. 4. Discussion of and possible action on recommending provisions regarding demolition by neglect and /or the possible adoption of the International Maintenance Code. The Task Force did not reach this item. 5. Receipt of report from the Code Enforcement Education Committee. The Task Force did not reach this item. 6. Request items for future agendas. Chairman Wilson scheduled the next meeting for Tuesday, December 11, 2007, at 5:00 p.m. 7. Adjournment. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 7:00 p.m. APPROVED THIS 1 IT' DAY OF DECEMBER, 2007. bon Wilson, MINUTES WORK SESSION CITY COUNCIL TASK FORCE ON CODE ENFORCEMENT 107 E. KAUFMAN STREET PARIS, TEXAS TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2007 1. Call meeting to order and roll call. The City Council Task Force on Code Enforcement was called to order by Chairman Wilson at 5:02 p.m. A. The following members were present: Don Wilson, Chairman Will Biard Steve Brown Jim Lassiter Charles Richards John S. House Marilyn Bellevance Pete Kampfer Bee Gannon Cheryt Moore Jerome Pipkins Don B. Taylor Bruce Frazier B. The following members were absent: Oscar Johnson Chris Brown Zachary Saffle Charles Fulbright C. Also present were Lisa Wright, Director of Community Development; Kent Mellyar, City Attorney; Nicki Brown, Deputy City Clerk; Todd Varner, Code Enforcement Officer; Jason Browning, Plumbing Inspector /Code Enforcement Officer; John Lestock, Assistant City Attorney /Municipal Court Prosecutor; Ronnie Grooms, Fire Chief; and Lt. William Hodge, Police Department. 2. Approval of minutes from previous meetings (November 27, 2007). Chairman Wilson asked if there were any corrections. Will Biard asked if Pete Kampfer was at the last meeting, and Pete stated he was. Will said Pete Kampfer needed to be added to the present list on the minutes. A Motion to approve the minutes as amended was made by Pete Kampfer, seconded by Bee Gannon. Motion carried unanimously. 3. Discussion of and possible action on recommending provisions regarding demolition by neglect and /or the possible adoption of the International Property Maintenance Code. Chairman Wilson explained the history of the reasons for looking into making provisions regarding demolition by neglect and the possible adoption of the International Property Maintenance Code. He said that people are letting their property deteriorate and, if we could enforce maintenance of properties, we could prevent this deterioration from happening. A. Slide show of buildings which are neglected. Lisa Wright presented a slide show of several properties throughout Paris that were deteriorating, and she provided samples of what some other cities were adopting to address this issue. B. A discussion of the International Property Maintenance code and demolition by neglect. Lisa Wright advised the Task Force that the Historic Preservation Commission was recommending the adoption of the International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC) applicable only to the historic districts, and she was not recommending that it be applied City -wide. She stated that she had several revisions she would recommend as the Task Force went through the Code. It was the consensus of the Task Force that the IPMC covered too much, and it might be too difficult to get the public to buy into right now. Arvin Starrett stated that the issue in the historic districts was not so much that people with limited resources could not afford to maintain their properties. He said that most of the issues in the districts are properties held by people of means who simply do not want to repair their properties. He stated that the Historic Preservation Commission had recommended that the IPMC be reviewed by the City Attorney and staff to make local amendments that would make more sense in Paris. Lisa Wright advised that staff has done that. Chairman Wilson asked the Task Force how far they wanted to go to address this matter and how much time it wanted to devote to it. The consensus was that the IPMC was too much at this time. Cheryt Moore asked Lisa Wright what the City needed right now to help address this issue, and Lisa Wright stated that the City needed something to bridge the gap. She stated that the City could currently cite someone who had a hole in the roof, but could not cite someone whose roofing tiles were beginning to slough off, but this is the point at which the deterioration is starting to take place. She added that many cities required residents to protect the outside finishes of their properties using paint, sealant, or other methods, because unprotected wood or other surfaces will lead to deterioration. Once the deterioration starts, it could be too late. The Task Force asked why the City couldn't cite someone about roof leaks. Chairman Wilson stated that there was a building he knew about that had a leak. Kent McIlyar explained the procedure in getting search warrants to observe inside problems. He stated that Code Enforcement staff could not enter property without a search warrant that included an affidavit of probable cause signed by someone with knowledge of the interior. He said that the staff could only cite what it sees from the street without a search warrant. A motion to table item # 2 was made by Pete Kampfer. Chairman Wilson asked that the staff review and bring suggestions to the next meeting to deal with roofing and exterior finishes. Chairman Wilson reminded the Committee that this is on a timeline and needs to be addressed at the next meeting. 4. Receipt of report from the Code Enforcement Education Committee A. Pete Kampfer explained that clean up is contagious and they are implementing a two step program. 1. Involvement 2. To introduce New Rules. B. A brochure is in the process of being prepared to engage the community to become active. The brochure will be put on hold until more components are ready. C. No action was taken. 5. Discussion of and possible action on recommending the adoption of fencing regulations. A slide show was presented by Chairman Wilson showing front yard fencing and the various materials used throughout town. Because time was short, the Task Force will address this at the next meeting. Chairman Wilson advised the members that they had a sample ordinance in their packet with those items that had originally been included in the outdoor storage ordinance; however, the Task Force has chosen to handle this matter separately. He stated that the Task Force would address front yard fencing, temporary fencing, and fencing materials. 6. Request items for future agendas. Chairman Wilson scheduled the next meeting for Thursday, January 3, 2008, at 5:00 p.m. 7. Adjournment. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 7:00 p.m. APPROVED THIS 3rd DAY OF JANUARY, 2008. D• • MINUTES WORK SESSION CITY COUNCIL TASK FORCE ON CODE ENFORCEMENT 107 E. KAUFMAN STREET PARIS, TEXAS THURSDAY, JANUARY 3, 2008 Calf meeting to order and roll call. The City Council Task Force on Code Enforcement was called to order by Chairman Wilson at 5:05 p.m. A. The following members were present: Don Wilson, Chairman Will Biard Steve Brown Bruce Frazier Jim Lassister John S. House Cheryt Moore Marilyn Bellevance Pete Kampfer Bee Garmon B. The following members were absent: Oscar Johnson Don Taylor Zachary Saffle Jerome Pipkins Chris Brown C. Also present was Lisa Wright, Director of Community Development; Kent McIlyar, City Attorney; Kevin Carruth, City Manager; Janice Ellis, City Clerk; Todd Varner, Code Enforcement Officer; Robert Talley, Code Enforcement Officer; John Lestock, Assistant City Attorney /Municipal Court Prosecutor; Ronnie Grooms, Fire Chief, and Matt Birch, Police Officer. Chairman Wilson announced that he had received a resignation from Charles Richards and expressed appreciation for the work he had done. Mr. Richards said the newspaper thought he should resign to avoid a possible conflict, because he was the reporter assigned to write about city business. 2. Approval of minutes from previous meetings (December 11, 2007). Bee Garmon said that Bruce Frazier came late to the meeting, but was listed as being absent. She also suggested that Chairman Wilson be inserted as the person showing the slide show, as well as inserted in place of the word "He." Subject to the corrections, a Motion to approve the minutes was made by Bee Gannon and seconded by Jim Lassister. Motion carried unanimously. 3. Discussion of and possible action on recommending the adoption of fencing regulations. Chairman Wilson referred the Committee to the proposed Fencing Ordinance and asked Lisa Wright to display the slides depicting various fencing throughout the city. The slides reflected fences constructed of chain link, pvc, barbed wire, chicken wire, fencing in front yards, fences built out of different types of material and placed together (hodgepodge), and illegal fencing, which consisted of fences over 40" in height. Chairman Wilson inquired of the Committee if they wanted to proceed with a fencing ordinance and it was a consensus of the Committee to do so. Chairman Wilson also inquired of the citizens in attendance if they thought it was necessary to have a fencing ordinance. John Fuston commented that after reviewing the slides, he thought it was necessary to have a fencing ordinance. Kent McIlyar and Lisa Wright expressed concern over disallowance of picket fences in the Historic District. Cheryt Moore said she was concerned about telling someone they could not have chain link fence over 40" that was well maintained. Chairman Wilson questioned how they could grandfather chain link fences that were less than 40" in height but not 48" and 60" height fences. Lisa Wright informed the Committee that the fencing ordinance was adopted in the 1970s; however, she added that it had been difficult to monitor when fences were installed, because the City did not and does not require a permit. Mrs. Rita Kammer, a citizen, stated she did not like the ideal of paying taxes and not having the right to building a little white fence in her front yard. Cheryt Moore said she understood; however, there needed to regulations, because everyone had a different opinion as to what was or wasn't an eyesore. Council Member Biard suggested they might allow fencing in the front yard, but regulate the height and material. Ms. Moore and Ms. Bellevance both stated they did not like any type of fencing in front yards. While working with another city, Kent McIlyar pointed out that citizens became very upset when they were told they had to remove fencing from their front yards. Lisa Wright added they would have to prove in Court when the fence was built, and that would be nearly impossible to do. Council Member Biard suggested they consider not taking action against fences built in the past, but set regulations for any fences to be built in the future. There was additional discussion concerning residential fencing and the possibility of requiring a permit before building a fence, whether or not to allow fencing in front yards, various types of fencing materials, and grandfathering fences. It was a consensus of the Committee to make the following changes: General standards for fencing and other screening. (a)(4) Barbed wire fences shall be permitted only in L1 districts, H 1 districts, and agricultural zoned areas of property that exceeds four acres. Barbed wire fences will not be permitted adjacent to residential zoned property at it applies to agricultural lots. (a)(7) The Committee decided on 100'. (8) Items a, b. (a), (b), (c), (d) and (e) were deleted. (b) fence heights: (1) was deleted (2) a. thirty -six inches was changed to forty inches. 4. Staff updates on junk vehicles enforcement for Task Force. Lisa Wright handed out a memorandum to the Task Force advising of the procedure that will used for the upcoming junked vehicles push. She also provided the Task Force with a copy of the courtesy door hanger that will be used. She advised that the door hangers should be delivered next week something, and that the push would begin shortly thereafter. She told the Task Force that no other code enforcement cases would be worked during this period unless they were deemed an immediate hazard. Chairman Wilson inquired if staff needed volunteers to ride with them and log information into the computer. Lisa Wright said there were potential liability issues with citizens riding along; however, because the way the courtesy notice was designed, it would only take the code enforcement officer a few minutes to complete each address. She stated that it would be most beneficial for staff to have volunteers to come to the office to log information into the computer from the courtesy notices issued by staff. Chairman Wilson asked if there were any volunteers. Cheryt Moore, Marilyn Bellevance, Bruce Frazier, Bee Gannon, and Chairman Wilson volunteered to help staff. Citizen Benny Gray also volunteered to help. Discussion of demolition by neglect. Chairman Wilson advised the Task Force that this was on the agenda should anyone have any questions. He said he believed they could accomplish the goal by making some minor amendments to existing ordinances. Lisa Wright added that she had spoken with the Chairman of the Historic Preservation Commission, and they were going to look at this issue again at their meeting on the fourth Monday of this month to recommend revisions to the historic preservation ordinance. She recommended that, since the HPC was the group requesting the changes, the Task Force wait and put this back on their agenda next month. 6. Request items for future agendas. Chairman Wilson scheduled the next meeting for Tuesday, January 22nd at 5:00 p.m. He stated at the next meeting they would discuss fences in the front yard. He asked staff to research what other cities were doing and to bring examples with them. Chairman Wilson asked that they research what type of fencing material was being used and how they handled maintenance issues. Pete Kampfer requested that staff call other cities to see how they dealt with implementation of ordinances like this. Lisa Wright told him that she would contact other cities. 7. Adjournment. There being no further business, a Motion to adjourn was made by Pete Kampfer and seconded by Bee Gannon. Motion carried unanimously. The meeting was adjourned at 7:10 p.m. APPROVED THIS 22nd DAY OF JANUARY, 2008. Don Wilson, Chairman MINUTES WORK SESSION CITY COUNCIL TASK FORCE ON CODE ENFORCEMENT 107 E. KAUFMAN STREET PARIS, TEXAS TUESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2008 1. Call meeting to order and roll call. Council Member Biard chaired the meeting in absence of Chairman Wilson. The City Council Task Force on Code Enforcement was called to order by Council Member Biard at 5:18 p.m. A. The following members were present: Will Biard Steve Brown Bruce Frazier Jim Lassister Don Taylor John S. House Marilyn Bellevance Pete Kampfer Bee Garmon B. The following members were absent: Don Wilson Oscar Johnson Jerome Pipkins Chris Brown Cheryt Moore Zachary Saffle C. Also present was Lisa Wright, Director of Community Development; Kent McIlyar, City Attorney; Janice Ellis, City Clerk; Todd Varner, Code Enforcement Officer; Robert Talley, Code Enforcement Officer; Ronnie Grooms, Fire Chief; and Lt. Willie Hodge, Police Officer. 2. Approval of minutes from previous meetings (January 3, 2008). A Motion to approve the minutes was made by Pete Kampfer and seconded by Bee Garmon. Motion carried unanimously. 3. Discussion of and possible action on recommending the adoption of fencing regulations. Council Member Biard referred the Committee to the proposed Fencing Ordinance Draft #2. Council Member Biard stated the definitions would have more meaning once going through the Ordinance. He moved the Committee to page two to begin review of the Ordinance. It was a consensus of the Committee to make the following changes: General standards for fencing. (1) General standards. (a) The words fencing material will be added after PVC and a period will be inserted after the word "durability." The last sentence will read "All materials must be the type customarily used in residential landscaping." (b) This section was deleted. (c) The section should be modified to require that fences be of non - congruent materials without limiting the materials in number. (4) Electric fences. In the first sentence the words "to intentionally" were added after "constructed" and the words "in such a manner that it may" were deleted. In addition, the Committee discussed whether it should allow electric fencing placed inside other fences for penning dogs. They were concerned over children reaching into other fences and being able to touch an electric fence. Lisa Wright was asked to research this. (5) Barbed wire fences. In the first sentence the words "barbed wire fences shall be permitted" was inserted between the word "and" and the word "A." (7) Prohibited materials. Sheet metal, palettes, and hadite block were added to the list. (b) Fence heights. (1) Front yard fence requirements. The Committee elected to present two options to the City Council. They are as follows: Option Number 1: to prohibit any new front yard fences entirely. Option Number 2: (a) As presented in the draft ordinance. (b) Change the height to 36 inches. (c) The minimum percent open area to be 50 percent. (d) As presented in the draft ordinance. 4. Corner lot fence requirements. (b) this section will be deleted. (c) Other fence standards: (3) Revise this section so that it applies only to fences facing rights -of -way, parks, or the like. Prohibited conditions. (1) Lisa Wright was asked to clarify this wording. She stated she would pull the wording from the sign ordinance and include it here. (3) The sentence will read: No fence shall be constructed on a vacant lot past the front building line of the adjacent property. (5) This section will be deleted. (8) The word "deny" will replace the word "obstruct." (10) This section will be deleted. (11) The last sentence will be deleted. (12) The words "masonry block" will be deleted and replaced with the words "hadite or cinder block." (13) The words "as to" will be replaced with "that." Permits required. In each section, the words "or his designee" will be inserted after building official. (5) This section will be deleted. The Committee completed their review with the section on Duty and Responsibilities of Property Owners. At the next meeting, they will being with the section dealing with Construction and Maintenance of Fences. 4. Status report on program targeting junked vehicles. Lisa Wright reported staff was working the City using the 137 pages of tax maps to ensure there was no overlap and to further ensure that nothing was missed. So far, staff has worked only 11 and has 241 courtesy notices. Lisa said the process was taking more time than anticipated and she did not believe they would be able to complete the entire city within thirty days. Marilyn Bellevance asked Lisa if staff was ready for volunteers to begin inputting information into the computer and Lisa answered in the affirmative. Lisa asked those who wished to volunteer to call her. 5. Request items for future agendas. Council Member Biard asked that parking in the yard and parking motor homes in the street be added to the next Agenda. He scheduled the next meeting for Tuesday, February 5, 2008, at 5:00 p.m. 6. Adjournment. There being no further business, a Motion to adjourn was made by Council Member Brown and seconded by Bee Gannon. Motion carried unanimously. The meeting was adjourned at 7:10 p.m. APPROVED THIS 5th DAY OF FEBRUARY MINUTES WORK SESSION CITY COUNCIL TASK FORCE ON CODE ENFORCEMENT 107 E. KAUFMAN STREET PARIS, TEXAS TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2008 1. Call meeting to order and roll call. The City Council Task Force on Code Enforcement was called to order by Chairman Wilson at 5:03 p.m. A. The following members were present: Don Wilson, Chairman Will Biard Steve Brown Jim Lassiter Charles Richards John S. House Pete Kampfer Bee Gannon Cheryt Moore Don B. Taylor Bruce Frazier Jerry Rose John Fuston B. The following members were absent: Marilyn Bellevance Jerome Pipkins Oscar Johnson Chris Brown Zachary Saffle C. Also present were Lisa Wright, Director of Community Development; Kent McIlyar, City Attorney; Nicki Brown, Deputy City Clerk; Robert Talley, Code Enforcement Officer; John Lestock, Assistant City Attorney /Municipal Court Prosecutor; Vance Woodard, Fire Marshal; and Matt Birch, Police Department. 2. Approval of minutes from previous meetings (January 22, 2008). Chairman Wilson asked if there were any corrections. A Motion to approve the minutes was made by Bee Gannon, seconded by Don Taylor. Motion carried unanimously. 3. Discussion of and possible action on recommending the adoption of fencing regulations. John Fuston questioned the two options on page 3 of 8. Chairman Wilson suggested that the committee get through the document then revisit any issues that need to be addressed. Chairman Wilson said that the committee needed to start on page 7 of 8. A. Construction and maintenance of fences. Don Taylor asked who would the City send a notice to if a fence falls into despair. Steve Brown said when he puts up fences, the fence line is on the property line between the two houses, so would the fence be the property of the person who had the fence built or would each property owner maintain and be responsible for the fence side on their property? Lisa Wright said that Code Enforcement would have to use their judgment on things like this. If the fence along a side property line matches the fence of one house and not the other, you can presume the fence goes with that house. Where they legitimately can't tell the difference, they would probably send the letter to both property owners and let them tell us which one owns it. A motion was made by John House, seconded by Don Taylor, to change the wording of subsection (b) as follows: "If the fence is located along a boundary between two properties, both sides shall be maintained by the owners of the fence." Motion carried. Opposing were Will Biard and Bee Gannon. B. Nonconforming fences. A motion was made by Steve Brown, seconded by Cheryt Moore, to change subsection (e) Damage or Destruction, as follows: "Any non - conforming fence, or any non- conforming element of a fence capable of change or discontinuance separate from other elements of the fence, damaged, destroyed, or deteriorated by any means to the extent of thirty -five percent (35 %) or more shall be removed or brought into conformity with the provisions of this article "; subsection (f)(2) Dilapidated Fences or Walls, as follows: "Each non - conforming fence that is dilapidated or deteriorated to the extent that the replacement of more than thirty -five percent (35 %) of the fence is required." Motion carried unanimously. C. General Standards for fencing, page 3 of 8 Chairman Wilson asked the Committee if they wanted to give one or two options. Will Biard said he suggested giving two options because the Council might kick it back if the only option is no fences. Pete Kampfer said the purpose of the Committee was to make a recommendation. Everyone was in agreement. A motion was made by Pete Kampfer, seconded by Jim Lassiter, to change subsection (b) Fence heights, (1) Front yard fence requirements, as follows:. (a) No fence shall be permitted in the front yard, except in the Historic Districts, on lots of two acres or more, and in LI and HI districts "; subsection (b) as follows: adding "decorated metal" as an approved material; subsection (c) as follows: changing "36" to "42"; and by deleting subsection (e). Motion carried unanimously. The Task Force also removed "landscape timbers" from (7)(f) on page 3 because that is a standard fencing material, and corrected the spelling of pallets. D. Fencing Ordinance Supplement to Draft #3, A was made by Pete Kampfer, seconded by Bee Garmon, to amend subsection (c) Screening Materials, (1), as follows: "A screening device shall not be less than eight (8) feet in height, be constructed of wood, stone masonry, brick, decorated concrete block, or other permanent material, have a completely solid area with no openings, and be permanently maintained "; subsection (3) as follows: change "60" to "80," require a minimum planting height of 6 feet, and provide a minimum height of 8 feet for a combination of planting and fencing; subsection (d) Standards for Screening, (1), as follows: add "decorated" to concrete block "; and subsection (d)(3) as follows: provide that the stacked materials cannot be next to the inside of the fence. Motion carried unanimously. 4. Discussion of and possible action on recommending the adoption of a comprehensive parking ordinance. No action was taken. 5. Request items for future agendas. Chairman Wilson asked that on the next City Council Task Force on Code Enforcement agenda that they discuss Parking and Animals. Chairman Wilson scheduled the next meeting for Tuesday, February 19, 2008, at 5:00 p.m. 6. Adjournment. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 7:13 p.m. APPROVED THIS 19t' DAY OF FEBRUARY, 2008. Don Wilson, Chairman MINUTES WORK SESSION CITY COUNCIL TASK FORCE ON CODE ENFORCEMENT 107 E. KAUFMAN STREET PARIS, TEXAS TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2008 1. Call meeting to order and roll call. Chairman Wilson called the meeting to order at 5:00 p.m. A. The following members were present: Don Wilson, Chairman Will Biard Steve Brown Jim Lassister Don B. Taylor John S. House Cheryt Moore Pete Kampfer Bee Garmon Jerry Rose John Fuston Marilyn Bellevance B. The following members were absent: Bruce Frazier Oscar Johnson Jerome Pipkins Chris Brown Zach Saffle C. Also present was Lisa Wright, Director of Community Development; Kent McIlyar, City Attorney; Janice Ellis, City Clerk; Shawn Napier, City Engineer; Ronnie Grooms, Fire Chief, John Lestock, Assistant City Attorney; and Matt Birch, Police Officer, 2. Approval of minutes from previous meeting. (February 5, 2008). Subject to the insertion of "Motion" being added on the first line under Section D, a Motion to approve the minutes was made by Pete Kampfer and seconded by John Fuston. Motion carried unanimously. 3. Discussion of and possible action on recommending the adoption of a comprehensive parking ordinance Chairman Wilson inquired of the Committee if they wanted to proceed with general discussion or a detailed review. Marilyn Belevance said she preferred to do directly into an in depth review of the proposed ordinance. Pete Kampfer asked why some of the ordinance was grayed out, and Lisa Wright stated that the sections in gray are the technical provisions of the ordinance, and the Task Force was welcome to review them; however, they're based on standards practices and State requirements. Lisa Wright informed the Committee that the proposed ordinance Sections 10 -102 and 10- 103, the list of uses and minimum requirements, were more comprehensive and more current. She stated the current ordinance had been on the books since the 1970s, and the dust -free ordinance section since 1989. Lisa Wright also stated that a business owner who made an expansion to or changed the use of his building would be required to bring the parking lot up to code under the new ordinance. Chairman Wilson said they should exercise caution when making decisions about the ordinance because they wanted to be fair and promote growth. Chairman Wilson moved to Sections 10 -102 and 10 -103. On recommendation of staff, a Motion to approve Sections 10 -102 and 10 -103 was made by Bee Gannon and seconded by Council Member Brown. Motion carried unanimously. Chairman Wilson moved to Section 10 -104. Sub - Section (a) was discussed at length by the Committee, specifically whether or not to have screening next to a residence and whether parking should be allowed at the front of a building that was next to a residence. It was a consensus of the Committee to have staff re -word sub - section (a) and bring back to the next meeting. Chairman Wilson also asked staff to bring a copy of the current ordinance red -lined for review by the Committee. It was a consensus of the Committee to delete sub - sections (b) and (d). Chairman Wilson inquired of staff as to how to deal with the size of trucks that could or could not be parked in driveways, and he asked if we could add motor homes to the list of things that cannot be parked on the street. Lisa Wright said parking on the street was already handled through the traffic ordinance as far as semis go; however, she said she would get with Chief Louis to expand what vehicles we might add to that. Chairman Wilson moved to Sections 10 -105 and 10 -106. After review, it was a consensus of the Committee to approve the sections as written. Chairman Wilson moved to S ection 10 -108. It was a consensus of the Committee to approve sub - sections (a)(1 -9) and to delete sub - section (I 0)(a-d). Chairman Wilson moved to Section 10 -109. It was a consensus of the Committee to delete the last sentence of the paragraph. Chairman Wilson announced that they would start with Section 10 -110 at the next meeting. 4. Discussion of and possible action on recommending provisions regulating the storage and placement of recreational vehicles. The Committee did not reach this item. 5. Request items for future agendas. Chairman Wilson scheduled the next meeting for Tuesday, March 4, 2008. 6. Adjournment. There being no further business, a Motion to adjourn was made by Pete Kampfer and seconded by Council Member Brown. Motion carried unanimously. The meeting was adjourned at 7:00 p.m. APPROVED THIS 4b DAY OF MARCH, 2008. on Wilson, Chairman MINUTES WORK SESSION CITY COUNCIL TASK FORCE ON CODE ENFORCEMENT 107 E. KAUFMAN STREET PARIS, TEXAS TUESDAY, MARCH 4, 2008 1. No quorum was present at the City Council Task Force on Code Enforcement. A. The following members were present: Don Wilson, Chairman Will Biard John S. House Pete Kampfer Don B. Taylor Jerry Rose John Fuston Marilyn Bellevance B. The following members were absent: Steve Brown Bruce Frazier Jim Lassiter Jerome Pipkins Oscar Johnson Chris Brown Zachary Saffle Cheryt Moore Bee Gannon C. Also present were Lisa Wright, Director of Community Development; John Lestock, Assistant City Attorney/ Municipal Court Prosecutor; Nicki Brown, Deputy City Clerk; Kevin Carruth, City Manager; Shawn Napier, City Engineer/ Public Works Director; Todd Varner, Code Enforcement Officer; Ronnie Grooms, Fire Chief; Willie Hodge, Police Department; and Charles Richards, Paris News. 6. Next meeting will be March 18, 2008. APPROVED THIS 18th DAY OF MARCH, 2008. Doii Wilson, Chairman MINUTES WORK SESSION CITY COUNCIL TASK FORCE ON CODE ENFORCEMENT 107 E. KAUFMAN STREET PARIS, TEXAS TUESDAY, March 18, 2008 1. Call meeting to order and roll call. The City Council Task Force on Code Enforcement was called to order by Chairman Wilson at 5:00 p.m. A. The following members were present: Don Wilson, Chairman Will Biard Steve Brown John S. House Bee Gannon Cheryt Moore Don B. Taylor Bruce Frazier Jerry Rose John Fuston Marilyn Bellevance Pete Kampfer B. The following members were absent: Jim Lassiter Jerome Pipkins Zachary Saffle C. Also present were Lisa Wright, Director of Community Development; John Lestock, Asst. City Attorney/ Municipal Court Prosecutor; Nicki Brown, Deputy City Clerk; Shawn Napier, City Engineer/ Public Works Director; Ronnie Grooms, Fire Chief; Mary Madewell, Paris News; and Bob Hundley, Police Department. 2. Approval of minutes from previous meetings (February 19, 2008; March 4, 2008). Chairman Wilson asked if there were any corrections. A Motion to approve the minutes was made by Don Taylor, seconded by Will Biard. Motion carried unanimously. 3. Continued discussion of and possible action on recommending the adoption of a comprehensive parking ordinance. Section 10 -110 Paving Standards A. Surfacing The Task Force added: Asphalt, paving stones, or accepted paving. Delete: except for single family. B. okay C. Maintenance Remove "cracks." D. Surface exception The Task Force agreed to remove state, local, and national" to "a ribbon driveway..." If anyone has gravel it has to be repaired and maintained with dust free gravel in the future. Section 10 -111 Use of parking areas (b). The Task Force left the wording to the City Attorney to eliminate exceptions and prohibit front yard parking. Once the City Attorney has re- worded this, it needs to come back to the Committee. (c). The Task Force would like the City Attorney to clarify this wording to ensure it is not intended to apply to streets. (d). The Task Force added a provision for no 18 wheelers. 4. Discussion of and possible action on recommending revision to Chapter 31, Traffic, Article IV, Stopping, Standing and Parking. Section 31 -81 (b). The Task Force added a section regulating the parking of recreational vehicles along streets. Sections 31 -82 and 31 -83.1 were approved as presented. Section 31.81 (b) Add "utility" prior to "trailer" in the second line. Section 31.83.1 was approved as presented. 5. Discussion of and possible action on recommending provisions regulating the storage and placement of recreational vehicles. Chairman Wilson asked that Sample number one not be used and that the Task Force look at the second sample. All agreed. In General. (1) Ensure this includes no parking in the front yard. (2). Delete. (3). Remove "trash, debris." (5). Add "with valid registration if required." (1). Delete (2). Delete (3). Add to the end of number 5. (8). Change the setback line and ensure they are not parked closer to a structure than something can legally be built. Delete remainder of proposed ordinance. 6. Discussion of and possible action on recommending required screening devises for automotive repair businesses and other related businesses. (b). The Task Force agreed to add metal walls cannot be used if they're adjacent to residential. Lisa Wright advised she would get with the City Attorney on wording. 7. Request items for future agendas. Billboards, large animals, and demolition by neglect. Chairman Wilson scheduled the next meeting for Tuesday, April 8, 2008, at 5:00 p.m. 8. Adjournment There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 7:15 p.m. APPROVED THIS 8th DAY OF APRIL, 2008. Al &,O� Don Wilson, Chairman MINUTES WORK SESSION CITY COUNCIL TASK FORCE ON CODE ENFORCEMENT 107 E. KAUFMAN STREET PARIS, TEXAS TUESDAY, APRIL 8, 2008 1. Call meeting to order and roll call. Chairman Wilson called the meeting to order at 5:12 p.m. A. The following members were present: Don Wilson, Chairman Will Biard Don Taylor John S. House Cheryt Moore Bee Gannon John Fuston Jim Lassister B. The following members were absent: Stephen Brown Bruce Frazier Jerome Pipkins Marilyn Bellevance Zachary Saffle Pete Kampfer Jerry Rose C. Also present was Lisa Wright, Director of Community Development; John Lestock, Assistant City Attorney; Janice Ellis, City Clerk; and Bob Hundley, Assistant Chief of Police. 2. Approval of minutes from previous meeting. (March 18, 2008). Subject to the minutes reflecting Pete Kampfer being present, a Motion to approve the minutes was made by Bee Gannon and seconded by Don Taylor. Motion carried unanimously. 3. Discussion of and possible action on recommending provisions related to demolition by neglect. Page 1 of 4 Chairman Wilson said this focus pertained to the exterior of the building to prevent buildings from falling down. He reminded the Task Force they had reviewed a prior ordinance that addressed the inside of the building, and they felt that it was too comprehensive at that time. Council Member Wilson stated the current proposal addresses only the exterior. Lisa Wright told the Task Force that the recommendations were made by the Historic Preservation Commission, and she presented to them the proposed language as set out in Exhibit "A." Bee Gannon inquired about the language "in judgment of code enforcement." Chairman Wilson explained that a person could appeal the decision to Buildings and Standards for review and reconsideration. Mr. Fuston asked about the word "character." Lisa Wright emphasized this proposed ordinance addressed only the historic district. Council Member Biard stated he had a problem with the first sentence, because it would bring the lien holder into the process. Lisa Wright said it was a safeguard for the lien holder, because code enforcement would notify the lien holder. Don Taylor said he thought they should follow the recommendation of the Historic Preservation Commission and in addition, consider the same type of ordinance for the rest of the city. Cheryt Moore agreed with Mr. Taylor. Chairman Wilson asked if there were any other concerns. Council Member Biard reiterated his concern about the lien holder issue. He also expressed concern about persons inheriting deteriorated property and their ability to pay for the repairs. Lisa Wright said the City either does not find the owner or does not hear from the owner on the vast majority of the houses torn down. Council Member Biard inquired if the assessment was against the property or the owner. John Lestock said it was against the property. A Motion to approve the recommendations as presented was made by Bee Gan-non and seconded by Cheryt Moore. John Fuston referenced the last item on the proposed ordinance and said he did not think deterioration of any unique exterior architectural feature should be a concern if the rest of the house was in good shape. Lisa Wright said that some of those features were unique and should be protected or the structure could lose its historic significance. After additional discussion, the Task Force made the following changes to the recommendations by the Historic Preservation Commission: In the first sentence of Exhibit "A," they struck out the language "or person with an interest in" and added the word "of." In the last sentence, they struck out the words "of removal." They also added a sub - bullet to state "In no case can repair be accomplished by the removal of the architectural feature." Subject to the amendments, Bee Gannon made a Motion to approve this item and Cheryt Moore seconded the Motion. Motion carried by majority, with Council Member Biard casting a dissenting vote. Page 2 of 4 4. Discussion of and possible action on revising the City ordinance regulating billboards and off - premise signs. Chairman Wilson announced that Mayor Freelen asked that this item be considered in a joint meeting with the City Council. 5. Discussion of and possible action on revising the City ordinance regulating large animals within the city limits. Bob Hundley informed the Task Force the current ordinance allows for two head of livestock in a backyard and thereafter for each one -half (' /2) acre one head of livestock is allowed in a backyard. Pursuant to the animal control list, Bob Hundley reported there were 238 places within the city that had livestock on them. Walter Cavender, who resides at 713 Oak, said he had a jack on his property and that he had no complaints from the neighbors because the jack was the neighborhood watchdog. Continued discussions included grandfathering and the review of ordinances from other cities. It was a consensus of the Task Force to make the following amendments to the City of Paris's existing ordinance: Section 5 -7. Limitations on keeping livestock - Generally. (a) It shall be unlawful for any person to harbor, keep or maintain more than one head of livestock in an enclosure less than one -half (' /z) to two (2) acres in size inside the city limits exclusive of any residential structure and front yard area. Additional livestock can be kept in the enclosure in the ratio of one (1) head of livestock for every additional two (2) acres over the minimum area. This section shall apply only to those areas of the city zoned as residential, retail, industrial, or light industrial. (b) Every head of livestock shall be kept within a suitable pen or enclosure, every part of which shall be situated not less than fifty (50) feet from any inhabited dwelling. Staff was asked to bring proposed wording to the next meeting. 6. Request for future agendas. Chairman Wilson scheduled the next meeting for Tuesday, April 22 "d at 5:00 p.m. 7. Adjournment. There being no further business, a Motion to adjourn was made by Council Member Biard and seconded by John Fuston. Motion carried unanimously. The meeting was adjourned at 7:10 p.m. Page 3 of 4 APPROVED THIS 22ND DAY OF APRIL, 2008. Don Wilson, Chairman Page 4 of 4 r Demolition by Neglect Prevention of Demolition by Neglect of Exterior. No owner or person with an interest in real property which is designated an Historic Site or which sits within a Historic District in any part of the city, whether that property is occupied or not, shall permit the structure or property to fall into a serious state of disrepair or to remain in a serious state of disrepair so as to result in the deterioration of any exterior architectural feature which would, in the judgment of code enforcement officials or the Historic Preservation Officer, produce a detrimental effect upon the character of the structure or property, or, if the structure or property is in an Historic District, upon the district. Examples of such deterioration include: • deterioration of exterior walls or other vertical supports; • deterioration of roofs or other horizontal members; • deterioration of exterior chimneys or flues; • deterioration or crumbling of exterior stucco or mortar; • ineffective waterproofing of exterior walls, roofs or foundations, including broken windows or doors; • deterioration of any exterior feature so as to create a hazardous condition which could make demolition necessary for the public safety; or • deterioration or removal of any unique exterior architectural feature which would detract from the original architectural style. Exhibit "A" ,e MINUTES WORK SESSION CITY COUNCIL TASK FORCE ON CODE ENFORCEMENT 107 E. KAUFMAN STREET PARIS, TEXAS TUESDAY, JUNE 3, 2008 Call meeting to order and roll call. Chairman Wilson called the meeting to order at 5:07 p.m. A. The following members were present: Don Wilson, Chairman Will Biard Steve Brown Bruce Frazier Jim Lassister John House Marilyn Bellevance Pete Kampfer B. The following members were absent: Jerome Pipkins Don Taylor Cheryt Moore Zach Saffle Bee Garmon Jerry Rose John Fuston C. Also present was Kevin Carruth, City Manager; Lisa Wright, Director of Community Development; Kent McIlyar, City Attorney; Janice Ellis, City Clerk; Karl Louis, Chief of Police; and Ronnie Grooms, Fire Chief. 2. Approval of minutes from previous meeting. (May 20, 2008). Subject to the minutes reflecting Bruce Frazier being present, a Motion to approve the minutes was made by Pete Kampfer and seconded by Jim Lassister. Motion carried unanimously. 3. Continued discussion of and possible action on recommending provisions regulating the storage and placement of recreational vehicles. Chairman Wilson inquired if there was anyone in the public who wished to speak about the Page 1 of 4 items. The following persons addressed the Task Force: Robert Brunson - he said he had conducted a survey in Paris and he did not find that there was a big problem with the parking of recreational vehicles. Jimmy White, 3210 Houston - he said his motor home cost more than his house and inquired where he could keep the motor home if he could not keep it at home. Chairman Wilson said they were trying to get recreational vehicles off of the street. Marilyn Bellevance said she used to own a motor home and having one in your yard could lower the value of your neighbor's home. Buddy Hussey - he said his recreational vehicle had been parked at his place for over forty years and he had not received any complaints. Chairman Wilson said that citizens may not call the owners, but do make complaints to the City Staff. Judy Blankenship, 4115 Castlegate - she said having recreational vehicles in a driveway was a safety issue. Ms. Blankenship said one of her neighbors had one in the driveway, and it was difficult to watch for children when backing out of her driveway. Chairman Wilson said safety was a concern that needed to be addressed and suggested they explore the possibility of recreational vehicles being stored in side yards or backyards. John Hanna, 170 S.W. 46`'' Street - he said there were four recreational vehicles on his street and there had been no complaints. He said he thought the Task Force had taken this too far. Chairman Wilson said he had been down 46' Street and those recreational vehicles were legal. Council Member Brown said they were attempting to prohibit people from using recreational vehicles as residences. Chief Louis said they needed an ordinance that officers could enforce and needed the Committee to come up with guidelines that could be equally enforced. Ted Brakebill, 3030 W. Kaufman - he said his camper had been in his yard for twenty years and would not fit in his backyard. Mel Whitaker, 265 -32nd N.E. - he expressed concern about the effect of the ordinance on his fifth wheel. Preston Morgan, 3008 Bonham - he said he had a fifth wheel and from reading the newspaper, he understood that no recreational vehicles would be allowed on citizens' property. Chairman Wilson said that not everyone would be affected, because it would depend on the size of the property and size of the vehicle. Chief Louis stated they needed to address sight obstruction and safety of persons. Chairman Wilson referenced one situation in which Assistant Chief Hundley went to a home where the recreational vehicle extended all the way to the street and he could not do anything about it because there was no ordinance to deal with the situation. Chief Louis said they need at least a ten to twelve feet clearance for the recreational vehicle. Marilyn Bellevance reiterated that a recreational vehicle could block the view of a child. Page 2 of 4 Lawrence Wade - he said his motor home stuck out about 11 feet from his house. Bee Garmon arrived at 6:08 p.m. Steve Holmes, 530 N.E. 33`d - he said that safety should be the number one concern and they needed to pass an ordinance that the officers could enforce. Mike Hammer, 925 Bunker - he said there was so much junk in some of the neighborhoods and that it was sad that the City had gone down. Chairman Wilson stated that cleaning up the city was a big task and the Committee had been working on it for nine months. Mary Post, 1504 E. Washington - she said she does not think that the side yard would work for her due to the size of the yard and her recreational vehicle. She also said she understood the need for an ordinance because of accumulated junk and safety issues. Don Holiday - he said some people did not have enough room for ten feet between a house and a recreational vehicle. Glenn Smallwood, 2855 Simpson - he said he was a private contractor and had eight pick -ups and a gooseneck trailer at his house. He also said they were taking away rights and he opposed the ordinance. Pete Sisson, 3930 Oleander - he asked if the ordinance was complete. Chairman Wilson said it was sent to Council and returned to the Committee for changes, because there had been complaints about the ordinance. With no one else speaking, Chairman Wilson moved to the final draft of the ordinance. John House suggested they delete item 2 on page 1. A Motion to delete item 2 was made by Council Member Biard and seconded by Council Member Brown. Motion carried unanimously. Chairman Wilson moved to item 3. Chief Louis expressed concern about not having a limitation on the number of days a recreational vehicle could be used for housekeeping, living, sleeping quarters, or for the storage personal property. Lisa Wright said it would be difficult for code enforcement to enforce that type of provision. Following a brief discussion, it was a consensus of the Committee to restrict a recreational vehicle for no more than seven days for housekeeping, living, sleeping quarters, or for the storage personal property. Next, the Committee discussed item 9. There was discussion about registering recreational vehicles for grandfathering purposes, limiting parking to the side and rear yards, the distance allowed between the curb and a parked recreational vehicle, and a variance procedure. Staff was instructed to prepare a draft addressing these issues and bring it back to the Committee. Page 3 of 4 4. Continued discussion of and possible action on recommending revisions to the ordinance regulating large animals within the city limits. The Committee did not reach this item. 5. Adjournment. There being no further business, a Motion to adjourn was made by Pete Kampfer and seconded by Council Member Brown. Motion carried unanimously. The meeting was adjourned at 7:25 p.m. The next meeting of the Task Force will be July 1, 2008, because of various scheduling conflicts. APPROVED THIS 1 ST DAY OF JULY, 2008. — .14 )�4 Don Wilson, Chairman Page 4 of 4 MINUTES WORK SESSION CITY COUNCIL TASK FORCE ON CODE ENFORCEMENT 107 E. KAUFMAN STREET PARIS, TEXAS TUESDAY, JULY 1, 2008 1. Call meeting to order and roll call. Chairman Wilson called the meeting to order at 5:05 p.m. A. The following members were present: Don Wilson, Chairman Will Biard Bruce Frazier Jim Lassister Don Taylor John House Cheryl Moore Zachary Saffle Pete Kampfer Bee Garmon John Fuston B. The following members were absent: Steve Brown Jerome Pipkins Marilyn Bellevance Jerry Rose C. Also present was Kevin Carruth, City Manager; Lisa Wright, Director of Community Development; Kent McIlyar, City Attorney; Janice Ellis, City Clerk; Karl Louis, Chief of Police; and Ronnie Grooms, Fire Chief. 2. Approval of minutes from previous meeting. (June 3, 2008). Subject to the minutes reflecting John Fuston being absent and Jim Lassister being the person who seconded the Motion for approval of the minutes of May 20, 2008, a Motion to approve the minutes was made by Council Member Biard and seconded by Bruce Frazier. Motion carried unanimously. IIays 1 o� 4 3. Continued discussion of and possible action on recommending provisions regulating the storage and placement of recreational vehicles. Chairman Wilson referred the Committee to draft two of the travel trailer ordinance and reviewed the proposed changes as requested by the Committee. There was discussion about whether or not the exemption would stay with the special vehicle or with the property where the special vehicle was located. It was a consensus of the Committee to make the following changes: In General. 2) was moved to the "exceptions" section since it will apply only to grandfathered vehicles and expanded in that section to include "or if no curb line exists, 11 feet from the existing roadway." 3) 14 maximum days per calendar year was added. 9) the words "within any portion of the side yard or rear yard which is" were deleted. Exceptions. (a) the words "item 1 " (from the "In General" section) are to be inserted between the words "the" and "Chief." (b) this section was added and shall read: this exception shall apply only to the registered vehicle registered at that specific location. Registration of Special Vehicles. 2) the words "from item 1 " (from the "In General" section) are to be inserted between the words "exempt" and "from." Chairman Wilson asked Lisa Wright to explain the procedure for registering a special vehicle with the City. Lisa Wright said the person who wishes to register a special vehicle should come to her office and complete a form that will be developed. After completion of the form, a Code Enforcement Officer will go to the location and take a photograph to document the vehicle being grand- fathered, then the Police Chief will be forwarded the application to determine if it meets the safety requirements. If the vehicle meets the safety requirement, it will be registered with the City. Ms. Wright also stated there would be no registration fee. Subject to the above changes, a Motion to accept this Ordinance was made by Pete Kampfer and seconded by Cheryt Moore. Motion carried unanimously. rlays 2 o� 4 Chairman Wilson inquired as to when the ordinance would be submitted to the City Council and Lisa Wright estimated it would be in August. Bruce Frazier left the meeting at 5:50 p.m. 4. Continued discussion of and possible action on recommending revisions to the ordinance regulating large animals within the city limits. Chairman Wilson moved to draft two of the large animal ordinance for review by the Committee. After a brief discussion regarding section (a), it was a consensus of the Committee to add a new number (1) to read as follows: livestock cannot be kept on less than one -half (1/2) acre; the other numbers will read the same but the numbering will change to (2) and (3). Walter Cavendar, 713 Oak Street, inquired if the 1/2 acre had to be combined in one lot. Chairman Wilson said he did not anticipate a problem as long as he had a total of 1/2 acre of property. Chief Louis recommended grandfathering the animals that had been on the same property for years because of possible court issues on these specific circumstances. Chairman Wilson said he was concerned about health issues when he saw horses standing in deep mud on 1/2 acre lots. Mr. Wilson said this situation was not good for the horse or the neighbors. Chief Louis said if it was unsanitary, that would be a different issue and they should handle that anyway. Pete Kampfer was opposed to grandfathering the animals. Bee Garmon arrived to the meeting at 6:15 p.m. Chairman Wilson asked that Chief Louis conduct a survey and get back to the Committee with regard to how many animals could be possibly grandfathered. Don Taylor said that the Committee might want to consider giving the land owner up to a year to make other arrangements for the animal. Council Member Biard asked Chief Louis to provide the lot size in his survey. Cheryt Moore asked that photographs also be taken of the animal and location. Chairman Wilson asked staff to bring back to the next meeting the revised draft of the demolition by neglect ordinance. Some of the Committee Members were questioning the enforcement of the ordinances they had submitted and that had been passed by City Council. Kevin Carruth reminded the Committee that when they started this process they were asked to consider whether sufficient resources were available to the staff to enforce the new ordinances. Mr. Carruth reminded the Committee that there are only two code enforcement officers for the entire City of Paris and they were diligently working the cases with the resources available, which were limited. He reminded them that for the past several months seventeen people have been directing the activities of only three people. Hays 3 o� 4 5. Adjournment. There being no further business, a Motion to adjourn was made by Zach Saffle and seconded by Cheryt Moore. Motion carried unanimously. The meeting was adjourned at 6:40 p.m. The next meeting of the Task Force will be Tuesday, August 19, 2008 at 5:00 p.m. APPROVED THIS 19TH DAY OF AUGUST, 2008. Don Wilson, Chairman IIayE 4 o� 4 MINUTES WORK SESSION CITY COUNCIL TASK FORCE ON CODE ENFORCEMENT 107 E. KAUFMAN STREET PARIS, TEXAS TUESDAY, AUGUST 19, 2008 1. Call meeting to order and roll call. Chairman Wilson called the meeting to order at 5:05 p.m. A. The following members were present: Don Wilson, Chairman Steve Brown Jim Lassister Don Taylor John House Marilyn Bellevance Zachary Saffle Pete Kampfer Bee Garmon John Fuston B. The following members were absent: Will Biard Bruce Frazier Jerome Pipkins Cheryt Moore Jerry Rose C. Also present was Kevin Carruth, City Manager; Lisa Wright, Director of Community Development; Kent McIlyar, City Attorney; Nicki Brown, Deputy City Clerk; Karl Louis, Chief of Police; John Lestock, Asst. City Attorney/ Municipal Court Prosecutor; Charles Richards, Paris News; Joe McCarthy, City Council; and Ronnie Grooms, Fire Chief. 2. Approval of minutes from previous meeting. (July 1, 2008). A Motion to approve the minutes was made by Pete Kampfer and seconded by Jim Lassiter. Motion carried unanimously. 3. Continued discussion of and possible action on recommending revisions to the ordinance regulating large animals within the city limits. Page 1 Chief of Police, Karl Louis distributed a handout on large animal information. The sheet was a summary of the information obtained by the Paris Police Department Animal Control Division from the Lamar County Appraisal District (see attached list). Chief Louis explained that one half of the affected properties inside the city limits are actually in violation of the current laws and that the Animal Control Division is in the process of working those violations at this time. The Task Force consensus was that there should be a one year period for all residents to come into compliance with the new requirements. There was also agreement that the ordinance should have a table included which shows the number of large animals that can be housed per number of acres. A motion to approve item number 3 as with the above changes was made by Don Taylor and seconded by Zack Saffle. Motion carried unanimously. 4. Continued discussion of and possible action on recommending provisions related to demolition by neglect. Lisa Wright told the Committee that these recommendations were already approved but that John Lestock had changed the wording to provide more specific examples of what exactly constituted a violation. There was discussion about whether to expand these requirements city -wide. Zach Saffle advised the Task Force that the Building and Standards Commission was already dealing with in their work, and progress is being made but people might not always be aware of it. Ms. Wright stated that she recommended the City begin work under the new ordinance, and it we find out it's not working, we'll bring it back to the City Council for revision. A motion to approve item number 4 was made by Bee Gannon and seconded by Pete Kampfer. Motion carried unanimously. 5. Discussion of and action on recommending revisions to the Outdoor Storage ordinance to include trash cans. Lisa Wright advised the Task Force that the new requested provision would require that trash can be kept in the back yard. There was discussion regarding the wording in Section 16 -23 (E) and the reference to a 7:30 am timeframe. Ms. Wright recommended that the Task Force leave re- wording this section to staff since it followed an administrative procedure. The Task Force discussed the lack of an ordinance requiring that dumpsters be screened and placed in a better location on property. Lisa Wright stated she would make a change to the ordinance and present it to the City Council. Code Enforcement's time frame was discussed. Lisa Wright told the committee she had put into the budget a computer software program to help speed the time frame up 25 % or more because required paperwork currently takes up a very large percentage of an inspector's time. Pete Kampfer, Chamber of Commerce, told Lisa to contact him on this for discussion. Page 2 6. Request items for future agendas. No items were put on this due to this being the last Code Enforcement meeting. Pete Kampfer reminded the committee that they have achieved a move in a positive direction. Don Wilson said the community is ten times cleaner since he took office on the City Council but there were still improvements that needed to be made. Don also thanked the committee and staff for all their hard work. Kevin Carruth thanked the committee for taking the time and committing to the project. 7. Adjournment There being no further business, a Motion to adjourn was made by Pete Kampfer and seconded by Don Taylor. Motion carried unanimously. The meeting was adjourned at 6:45 p.m. No future meeting is scheduled. Page 3 LARGE ANIMAL ORDINANCE INFORMATION A summary of the information obtained by the Paris Police Department Animal Control Division and from information obtained from the Lamar County Tax Appraisal District is listed below. Remember that this is a dynamic situation and people are buying and selling and moving in and out so this is the best information we have available at this time: In the Northeast Quadrant of Paris there are approximately 28 properties which now contain some type of livestock. Of those 28 properties, 18 have less than 1 acre and 7 of those have less than ll acre. In the Southeast Quadrant of Paris there are approximately 38 properties which now contain some type of livestock. Of those 38 properties, 5 have less than 1 acre and 2 of those have less than % acre. In the Northwest Quadrant of Paris there are approximately 59 properties which now contain some type of livestock. Of those 59 properties, 36 have less than 1 acre and of those 29 have less than % acre. In the Southwest Quadrant of Paris there are approximately 14 properties which now contain some type of livestock. Of those 14 properties 1 is less than 1 acre -and that 1 is also less than % acre. In the properties discovered while tabulating for this ordinance information summary, the other properties found to currently contain some type of livestock throughout the city were an additional 29 properties of which 14 are less than 1 acre and 12 of those are less than % acre. x Totals = 168 Properties containing livestock 74 of those properties which are less than 1 acre 51 of the 74 properties which are less than % acre