What code enforcement officer wishes every resident knew
For the past 18 years — after 30 years spent as a Centerville Police officer — Sande Heck has handled code enforcement for the city of Centerville. He admits he is not always the most popular employee with residents.
“I don’t knock on your door and say, ‘Hey, your house looks great!’ “Heck says. “People will say, ‘Oh, it’s you.’ I know just about every single code violation in this city. Ninety percent of them we find driving around.”
He says he sees clear progress in the community.
“I have some regulars, but we are addressing and fixing more problems than we are getting. Our neighborhoods are improving year-to-year,” Heck says.
As spring looms, Heck offers thoughts on the most common code enforcement violations:
■ High grass and weeds: This is a spring and summer problem that will soon return. If the height exceeds eight inches, the city issues a warning to people to cut their grass. If they do not cut it, we cut it for them and send them a bill. This is really the biggest problem in vacant houses.
■ Storing junk outside: Old grills, old wood, tree limbs people do not pick up. It looks terrible. Outside storage is limited to 30 days. In general, you should keep items like wood and grills in the backyard. Keep in mind: Centerville has an annual Clean Sweep, the weeks following
the Citywide Garage Sale, where Public Works will haul away almost anything you can get to the curb.
■ Unlicensed cars: Cars are supposed to be licensed and in safe operating condition. If it has a flat tire, expired plates ... that is not safe. I probably
found 50 violations of this in February 2023 alone. People need to get rid of them, or, at the very least, put them in a garage.
■ Fences and trees blown down in storms: Wooden fences can get brittle and, in a storm, they just blow over. After
storms, people need to be vigilant about checking their properties. Church groups are also great about helping people with property damage. The city can help connect those in need with those willing to help.
■ Peeling paint: This one is not a huge issue, because most homes in Centerville are brick or have vinyl siding. Recently, we went and bought a gallon of paint to help an elderly woman who was not able to do it herself. We can usually find volunteers to help in situations like this.
“It is unfair for neighbors to have to live next to a house that looks uncared for, especially when so many residents take such pride in their yards. Code Enforcement cannot be everywhere, and we rely on neighbors and all city staff and councilmembers to call in and give us a heads-up about issues we have not noticed,” Heck said.
He points out it is in the city’s best interest to focus on finding a solution.
“We want citations to be a last resort. They often lead to delays, and they are just not as effective as working with people to solve their problems. There are a lot of elderly people who have no one around to help them,” Heck said.
Church groups and volunteers are a big help, but Heck says neighbors checking on each other makes a tremendous difference.
“Ask for help if you need it. This is the biggest problem we run in to. There are many people who fall on hard times, and often, home maintenance is the first thing to fall behind,” Heck said.
He says the team looks forward to the warmer days, when neighborhoods will be filled with families out doing spring cleaning and starting projects.