Cactus Village Community

Neighborhood Preservation Ordinance

Aug 05, 2003

Neighborhood Preservation Ordinance and
Code Enforcement Policy Review Process
Yields Seamless Service Enhancements

Phoenix leaders once again have
shown their strong support of
Phoenix neighborhoods.

Working with dedicated neighborhood leaders who are passionate about the city of Phoenix and with the Neighborhood Services Department, the City Council recently approved some modifications the Neighborhood Preservation Ordinance (NPO) and PCC 31 that will help maintain and improve healthy neighborhoods.

Before the changes were adopted, extensive
resident input and feedback was solicited and
the findings are the basis for making recommendations for improvement.

Public input was gathered through focus groups at an NSD Open House held in February, by residents participating in NSD classes on code
enforcement, and through a survey conducted by the Behavior Research Center in February.

Input also was gathered from staff. This year?’s process resulted enhanced seamless service in three areas of enforcement of concern to residents; civil citation authority on rental registration violations, inoperable vehicles in the right-of-way, and over-height/unsound fences in the right-of-way.

A modification to the NPO provided the improvement in the rental registration citation process.

An interdepartmental agreement between NSD and the Police department will allow for NSD inspection staff to initiate the tag for towing process to address inoperable vehicles in the
right-of-way adjacent to properties with code violations.

Finally, Chapter 31 of the Phoenix City Code has been amended to allow the Street Transportation
Department to delegate enforcement for over-height/unsound fences in the right-of-way to NSD where staff are pursuing reported fence violations on the adjacent property. These changes will take effect in early July 2003.

The NPO has been a useful tool and guide for Phoenix residents and the Neighborhood Services Department.

Consider that as of May 31 ?– 11 months into our fiscal year ?– we had opened more than 33,000 cases.

This was up from 23,600 cases at the same time last year. About 80 percent of our cases this year have been opened as a result of contact from either a neighborhood association or resident.

In a recent customer satisfaction survey conducted by the Behavioral
Research Center, it was found that Phoenix residents generally give the city high marks for property maintenance efforts.

For example, 59 percent of residents offer a mark of seven or higher on a one-to-ten scale when asked to rate the quality of the job the city is doing to require property owners to maintain their properties ?– a significant
improvement from the 50 percent recorded in 2002.

In addition, 89 percent of residents aware of the NPO feel the ordinance is working well ?– a terrific improvement from the 80 percent reported in 2002. . . ☻