Codes
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Brenda Wade Schmidt
Enterprise
A group of Flandreau residents are working to review city rules governing unsightly and unsafe properties.
The task force, put together to look at current property appearance codes appointed by the city council, has met five times and is about half way through the process of looking at property ordinances that deal with structural maintenance, yard maintenance and inoperable vehicles.
“They’ve noted the fact that our code violations do not carry with them a financial incentive to comply, short of the possibility of a court fine,” said Jeff Pederson, city administrator. Another way of addressing code violations would be to issue a fine after a property owner is first given 30 days to comply, he said.
To grow, Flandreau will need to attract people from other areas instead of relying on rural people to move to town, he said. “The physical image that this community presents is an important component of the growth and vitality of Flandreau. I’m convinced of that,” Pederson said.
Members of the task force are council members Bob Pesall, Karen Tufty and Jason Unger, and citizens Karla Bjerke, Mark Ekern, Jen Headrick, Chris Neises and Amy Olinger. Mayor Mark Bonrud also is on the task force, and Pederson serves as a resource person. The group is still working on the process and, at this time doesn’t have specific recommendations for the council, but is not done yet looking at each area of review.
Community member Karla Bjerke got involved with the task force because she thought there were ordinances not being enforced and wondered why. She has found that there is much more to the process than just telling people they can’t do something, she said.
She now has a better understanding of what the city can and can’t do.
While the ordinances are pretty specific, some need changing or amending or may need to be eliminated because they are covered elsewhere in city code, she said.
“The process of reviewing the city ordinances is interesting,” she said. “Everybody has a different opinion of what is good and bad. The ordinances are important, otherwise, we would have a disaster.