Oskaloosa, Iowa – The Oskaloosa Fire Department is tasked with code enforcement within the city. Residents that may have violations such as scrap, or garbage cans may get a visit from the department.

Neff said that after an initial visit, residents are often given a short time to fix the situation without any penalty. If the situation isn’t remedied in the given time, the situation may be handed over to the city attorney for legal action.

When the fire department receives a complaint, personnel visit the location and document the situation through photographs, and if the occupant isn’t home, a door tag is left describing the reason for the visit.

All the information is entered into their system, and after three days, staff revisits the property, noting any changes that may have taken place.

If there are improvements, staff may continue to allow the resident or occupant to continue correcting the situation. Rental property owners are also notified of the situation.

If no progress is noted, the staff will take follow-up photos and then will prepare documentation for the city attorney.

After the city attorney has all the needed documentation, a municipal infraction is filed with the court, and a hearing date is set.

During the months of April, May, and June, a total of 155 infractions were investigated, with 85.8{99cd714f394079a7f0ed2eb1518dd31342ff3ceb5b6c267c3ad8acd5b5a7d66b} of those being resolved without the city attorney taking any action.

Story provided by Osky News