Complaint Policy

CITY OF LAKE SAINT CROIX BEACH
COMPLAINT POLICY
Adopted September 15, 2014

 

WHEREAS, the City of Lake St. Croix Beach is a political subdivision, organized and existing under the laws of the State of Minnesota; and

WHEREAS, the City of Lake St. Croix Beach had adopted city codes to define, regulate, and enforce certain conduct of its inhabitants and conditions of its properties; and

WHEREAS, the City of Lake St. Croix Beach recognizes the fact that code violations can negatively impact the health, safety and welfare of the community, if not abated and/or remedied; and

WHEREAS, the City of Lake St. Croix Beach endeavors to dutifully enforce its ordinances when it receives complaints from the public.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, to ensure the City of Lake St. Croix Beach handles all code violation complaints in a fair, equitable, and efficient manner the city adopts the following complaint policy:

  1. All complaints must be submitted to City Hall. The person who has made the complaint may provide their name and contact information with the complaint.   Once city staff has received the complaint, staff shall date stamp the complaint, enter the complaint into the complaint log, and file the original complaint in the “Complaint Book.”

  2. Although a complaint can be anonymous, if the complaint is anonymous and the city has difficulty understanding the nature of the complaint, the city shall have the right to reject the complaint. Furthermore, the city shall have the right to reject a complaint if it has not been submitted to City Hall.        

  3. Once a complaint is accepted, Staff shall than forward a copy of the complaint to the appropriate enforcement official, which will generally be either the administrative code enforcement officer or a law enforcement official.

  4. The conditions noted in the complaint shall be inspected within 10 business days.

  5. If a code violation exists, an enforcement warning letter to the property owner will be mailed out by staff at City Hall.   A copy of the letter shall also be directed to the appropriate city official.

  6. A final inspection shall be conducted within 5 business days after the enforcement deadline, specified in the enforcement warning letter. The city official who conducts this inspection shall also file a report to the City Clerk-Administrator as to whether or not the code violation has been abated or if further enforcement action is required.  

  7. If further enforcement action is required, an appropriate city official may begin to take immediate action by issuing an administrative citation, criminal citation, commencing a civil injunction or abatement action, or directing the city to abate the nuisance directly.   In the event that a criminal citation or other court action is deemed necessary, approval must be sought first by the City Clerk-Administrator, who may also confer with the city attorney for advice.       

     

THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that although a complaint can be anonymous, if the complaint is anonymous and the city has difficulty understanding the nature of the complaint, the city shall have the right to reject the complaint. Furthermore, the city shall have the right to reject a complaint if it has not been submitted to City Hall.        

 

Adopted by majority vote of the City Council on the 15th day of September, 2014.