Director Eric Fountain told the council that the Compliance Department handled 3,625 nuisance cases last year, with weeds and grass the top violation, followed by junk and trash and 380 noncompliant vehicles.

Fountain said the city increased the junk‑vehicle towing line by $25,000 after multiple transfers from other budgets. He told council members that towing volume rose after a camper ordinance took effect and social media listings increased availability: “Immediately following that, we were flooded again,” he said.

Towing volume and cost: Fountain estimated the department towed “over 200” vehicles last year and said per‑tow costs vary by vehicle condition and recovery complexity, typically between $150 and $800. He projected the city may spend “somewhere between $40,000 and $50,000 towing vehicles probably for the next 3 to 4 years.”

Billing and collections: Fountain described the department’s abatement and billing process—courtesy letter, violation letter, abatement and then billing—and said billing records built $90,605.76 for 109 cases. Of that amount, the city has collected $24,086, waived $2,252 and sent $6,430 to collections, leaving a substantial receivable balance.

Enforcement and capacity: Fountain said nuisance work has been largely handled by two employees until a third hire within the last 60 days, and that the department relies on equipment support from Public Works and Forestry for large cleanups. He emphasized that the department prioritizes public health and safety and triages cases accordingly.

Ending: The city is continuing targeted enforcement while the council evaluates budget adjustments for towing, abatement and interdepartmental equipment support.