Pastor Edward, introduced during council reports as the city’s code enforcement director, told the council on June 3 that his team has issued “probably 300 or 400” stop-work orders since taking office and that the department needs additional equipment and supplies to operate efficiently.

“The police department gave us their old 2015 cars,” Pastor Edward said, outlining that code enforcement began with six officers and has grown by two and now includes four volunteers from the reserve. He said officers write citations in the field but must return to City Hall to print and book them because the department lacks adequate computers and stickers for stop-work orders.

Why it matters: Code enforcement staff said their work intersects multiple departments — health, police and fire — and that resource gaps slow enforcement and follow-up. The director requested computers and stickers to expedite field processing and said hours now include early morning, evening and weekend shifts to catch violations that occur outside standard business hours.

Council response: Council members and city staff acknowledged the request. Chief of staff and other officials said the needs will be reflected in pending orders and that the department is also coordinating training and support with neighboring jurisdictions to improve capabilities.

Next steps: Staff said they will move to address equipment requests and integrate code enforcement into broader city operations. The director asked council members to ensure the department has tools to continue enforcement work.