Arlington Mayor Dr. Robert Cluck

March 18, 2004

Dear Committee Members,

The Citizen Policy Review Committee was created by the City Council to consider the scope and direction of specific City policies. The CPRC is empanelled this year for 10 to 12 weeks to examine the City’s approach to code enforcement.

The purpose of code enforcement regulations is to meet the community’s expectations regarding the aesthetic character of the City, ensure neighborhood stability and integrity, and prevent erosion of property values. The City Council hears a wide variety of opinions and anecdotal perceptions about the effectiveness of the City’s code enforcement ordinances, and the community often questions the level of resources allocation associated with enforcement efforts. Code enforcement is, by its very nature, a difficult public policy issues because of the tension that exists between balancing community-wide expectations and individual property rights.

The charge of the CPRC is to review the City’s code enforcement function from a public policy perspective analyzing:

• Policies of other Metroplex cities
• The adequacy and appropriateness of the City’s code enforcement ordinances
• The level of resources allocated to code enforcement
• The time it takes for due process rights to be exercised
• The role of education versus enforcement
• The reasonable balance between community standards and property rights

The CPRC will discuss the issues associated with code enforcement, make determinations about the City’s approach, and develop a final report for the City Council to consider in June prior to deliberations on the 2005 Fiscal Year Operating Budget.

City staff will be available at your meetings to act as a resource and to provide any additional information you may need as you discuss this issue. The City Council and I thank you for your service on this committee and your assistance with this important policy analysis.

Sincerely,

Robert Cluck, Mayor