The City of Fairmont WV (zip code 26554) City Council has undertaken several steps to enforce a "zero tolerance" nuisance ordinance. Officials hope these efforts will enable them to better address issues ranging from dilapidated properties to junk cars to high grass in area neighborhoods.

‘Zero tolerance’ for code violations

Fairmont council plans bus tour of neighborhoods with infractions

In an effort to launch a “zero-tolerance” policy on city code infractions, Fairmont council members are planning a little field trip before their next meeting.

Sparked by the recent approval of an ordinance to crack down on city codes violators, a bus tour targeting area neighborhoods with identified code infractions has been planned for council members.

The route will be mapped out by City Planner Jay Rogers and other members of the city’s planning department, and will be held at 5 p.m. Oct. 23, prior to the regular city council meeting.

“We have divided the city off into sections and are going to actually start enforcing the code to the fullest extent of the law,” said City Manager Bruce McDaniel. “City council has indicated they want to do everything possible to clean the town up.”

Officials hope these efforts will enable them to better address issues ranging from dilapidated properties to junk cars to high grass in area neighborhoods.

“We are going into neighborhoods where we have problems with combination dilapidated housing and zoning issues,” said Mayor Scott Sears. “We are basically going to prioritize certain neighborhoods in the City of Fairmont.”

After the tour, council members are planning a work session with code enforcement and planning officials to discuss the best way to address the issues.

“We are holding a work session to enable our staff and council to interact to make sure everybody is on the same page as we get started,” said McDaniel.

McDaniel said as these efforts get under way, they may even lead to the expansion of the city’s code-enforcement staff. Currently, he said there are not many employees addressing these types of issues, which may not be enough to fully address all of the issues in the future.

To view the online article in its entirety, please click here.