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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2008 02 19 Regular 600 Winter Springs Code Enforcement Board PolicyCode Enforcement of the City of Winter Springs, Florida Policv & Procedures .Manual I. NAME The name of this Board shall be the "Code Enforcement Board of the City of Winter Springs, Florida." II. INTENT It is the intent of this Board to promote, protect, and improve the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens of the City of Winter Springs, Florida as an administrative Board with authority to impose administrative fines and other noncriminal penalties to provide an equitable, expeditious, effective, and inexpensive method of enforcing any City Codes and Ordinances in force, where a pending or repeated Violation continues to exist per Section 162.02 FSS. (Florida Statutes) III. JURISDICTION The Board has non-exclusive jurisdiction over the Enforcement of City Codes of the City of Winter Springs, Florida as provided in the City Code and Chapter 162, Florida Statutes. When these Rules as outlined in the Winter Springs Code Enforcement Board Policy & Procedures Manual, herein known as WSCEB Policy, conflict with any provision of the City Code, Florida Statutes or other law, the City Code, Florida Statutes or other law shall prevail. IV. OFFICERS AND THEIR DUTIES A. The Officers shall be a Chairman and Vice Chairperson. The City of Winter Springs shall provide a Clerk to assist the Board per Section 162.07(1) FSS. (Florida Statutes) B. The Chairman shall preside at all Meetings and Hearings of the Board and shall have the duties normally conferred by parliamentary usage of the Officers. C. The Chairman shall sign all official correspondence from the Board. D. The Chairman shall be one of the Members of the Board. To be eligible for the position of Chairman, the Member must have a minimum of one (1) year service on the Board and shall not be an Alternate Board Member. The Chairman shall have the privilege of discussing all matters before the Board and shall have the same Voting rights as all Board Members. E. The Chairman has the authority to Approve the absence of any Board Member per Section 162.05(3)(e) FSS. (Florida Statutes) CITY OF WINTER SPRINGS, FLORIDA WINTER SPRINGS CODE ENFORCEMENT BOARD POLICY MANUAL PAGE 2 OF 9 F. When the Chairman is declared absent, the Vice Chairperson shall assume the title, duties and rights as Chairman for the Meeting or Hearing. Upon adjournment of said Meeting, title, duties and rights as Chairman return to the original Officer. G. In the absence of a Chairman and Vice Chairperson at a Meeting or Hearing, the Board Member that is the longest sitting Member in totality shall assume the title, duties and rights as Chairman for the Meeting or Hearing. Upon adjournment of said Meeting, title, duties and rights as Chairman return to the original Officer. V. ELECTIONS OF OFFICERS A. Nomination of Officers shall be made from the Board Members at the Annual Organizational Meeting held in January, and the Election shall be held immediately thereafter. The Election of Officers will always take precedence over an Agenda Item and as such shall be first to be conducted during the evening. Following its conclusion, the newly elected Officers will take their roles to complete the rest of the meeting. If the Election does not occur at the January Meeting, it shall be held as soon thereafter as is reasonably possible. B. A candidate receiving a majority of the Votes cast shall be declared elected and shall serve a term of one (1) year or until a successor shall take Office. C. Vacancies in the Office of the Chairman shall be filled by the Vice Chairperson until the following Election year. At that time, a new Vice Chairperson shall be elected. Vacancies in the Office of the Vice Chairperson shall be filled as soon as possible for the remainder of the term by following the Election procedure described above. VI. MEETINGS A. Re>;ular Meetinis: Regular Meetings shall be held on the third Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. in the City Commission Chambers of City Hall, 1126 East State Road 434, Winter Springs, Florida, unless otherwise scheduled. B. Special Meetings: Special Meetings may be called by either the Code Inspector, the Chairman or by written notification whereof at least three (3) Members of the Board to the Chairman per Section 162.07(1) FSS. (Florida Statutes) Revised 02/14/08 CITY OF WINTER SPRINGS, FLORIDA WINTER SPRINGS CODE ENFORCEMENT BOARD POLICY MANUAL PAGE 3 OF 9 C. Notice: 1. Notice of all Meetings, both Regular and Special, shall be given to each Board Member at least twenty-four (24) hours in advance of the Meeting. 2. Notice of all Meetings shall be provided to the Clerk of the Board for inclusion on the City's schedule of Meetings and Events. D. Attendance: 1. Board Members shall notify the Clerk of the Board if they cannot attend a Meeting. 2. The Clerk of the Board shall then contact the Chairman to determine if the absence is considered excused/unexcused per Section 162.05(3)(e) FSS. (Florida Statutes) 3. The absence, whether excused or unexcused shall then be noted in the Meeting Minutes for the Record. The Chairman shall also note for the Record the absence and whether it is excused/unexcused during the Meeting or Hearing. 4. If any Member of the Board fails to attend two (2) of three (3) consecutive Meetings without cause and prior approval of the Chairman, the Board shall declare the Board Member's office vacant and the City Commission shall promptly fill such Vacancy per Section 162.05(3)(e) FSS. (Florida Statutes) 5. Members of the Code Board also may be Removed for cause as provided under City Code. E. uorum A quorum of the Board shall consist of four (4) or more Members and an affirmative Vote of a majority of those present and Voting shall be necessary to pass any Motion or adopt any Order; provided, however, that at least four (4) members of the Board must Vote in order for the action to be official per Section 162.05(4) and Section 162.07(4) FSS. (Florida Statutes) F. Voting For all Motions, Voting shall be by voice and shall be recorded by individual `aye' or `nay' . Revised 02/14/08 CITY OF WINTER SPRINGS, FLORIDA WINTER SPRINGS CODE ENFORCEMENT BOARD POLICY MANUAL PAGE40F9 G. Participation by Alternate Board Members 1. There are two (2) alternate Members of the Board. When present they may act as fully participating, Voting Members of the Board when: a) a Regular Board Member is absent for a Regular or Special Meeting, or portion thereof or b) a Member abstains from Voting due to a conflict 2. In the event an Alternate is participating for a Regular Board Member, the Chairman shall make the appropriate announcements for the Record identifying which Board Member is no longer participating and which Alternate Board Member is now participating as a Voting Member. 3. Alternate Board Members may participate in questioning Respondents and Witnesses and discussing the merits of a Case. Alternate Board Members may not make Motions or Vote unless they are participating in place of a Regular Board Member. 4. Alternates shall be designated as "First Alternate" and "Second Alternate" where the Alternate Board Member designated as "First Alternate" will fill the first vacancy and the Alternate Board Member designated as "Second Alternate" shall fill the subsequent vacancy. H. Abstention and Conflict of Interest To be discussed per January 15, 2008 Regular Code Enforcement Meeting Minutes. I. Procedure: 1. Parliamentary procedure in Board Meetings shall be governed by the Rules of Procedure contained herein and by Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised, except that Robert's Rules of Order shall be advisory and not mandatory. In the event of conflict between Robert's Rules of Order and the Rules of Procedure contained here, these Rules of Procedure shall govern. 2. All Board Members shall be recognized individually by the Chairman through the use of the Board Members' dais light prior to addressing the Board, Code Inspector, Respondent, or Witness. This is to ensure that all questions and discussion are clearly on the recording tape for the Record. Revised 02/14/08 CITY OF WINTER SPRINGS, FLORIDA WINTER SPRINGS CODE ENFORCEMENT BOARD POLICY MANUAL PAGE 5 OF 9 3. All Board Members, Code Inspectors, Respondents and Witnesses are required to use an active microphone when speaking as all testimony must be accurately recorded on tape. 4. Private conversations between Board Members will be prohibited while Meetings or Hearings are in session. Any such conversations may Violate the Florida Sunshine Law per Section 286.011 FSS. (Florida Statutes) 5. Each Regular Board Member shall have a microphone and dais light assigned to them by the Clerk of the Board. Alternate Board Members shall be assigned seating and resources closest to the Clerk of the Board's seat with the "Second Alternate" being closest to the Clerk of the Board. 6. During a Hearing, the Respondent and their Witnesses shall be seated in the front row of the West Side seating area. The West Side seating area is located farthest from the Clerk of the Board. 7. The Code Enforcement Bureau and their Witnesses shall be seated in the front row of the East Side seating area. 8. The Code Enforcement Board shall use a standardized Finding of Fact and Relief Order Script to render its Verdicts. The Verdicts shall be read into the Record by the Clerk of the Board in their entirety upon the Motion of a Board Member. If the standardized Finding of Fact or Relief Order Scripts are not applicable or need to be Amended, the Board Member who is making the Motion may do the full reading. VII.ORDER OF BUSINESS A. 1. Call to Order 2. Roll Call 3. Invocation 4. Pledge Of Allegiance 5. Agenda Changes 6. Swearing In Of Code Officers 7. Informational Agenda Items 8. Approval Of Previous Meeting Minutes 9. Awards and Presentations 10. Reports 11. Public Input (Non-Case Specific) 12. Public Hearings Agenda -Continued Cases 13. Public Hearings Agenda -Repeat Cases 14. Public Hearings Agenda -New Cases 15. Public Hearings Agenda -Non-Compliance Cases 16. Regular Agenda Items 17. Adjournment Revised 02/14/08 CITY OF WINTER SPRINGS, FLORIDA WINTER SPRINGS CODE ENFORCEMENT BOARD POLICY MANUAL PAGE 6 OF 9 B. The Order of Business may be suspended by a Majority Vote of the Code Enforcement Board. VII. ANNUAL ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING A. The Annual Organizational Meeting shall be held in January of each year during the regularly scheduled Board Meeting. This Meeting shall be held regardless of the quantity of Cases which comes before the Board. B. The first Agenda Item during the Organizational Meeting shall be the Election of Officers as defined in Section V of the WSCEB Policy. C. The Second Agenda Item during the Organizational Meeting shall be to obtain a Motion to Approve an acceptable `Qualification of Posting' for the current year as described in Section 162.12 FSS. (Florida Statutes) D. The Third Agenda Item during the Organizational Meeting shall be to obtain an Motion to Approve the Qualifications of the Winter Springs Code Enforcement Officers. The process will be as follows: 1. The Chairman will ask each Code Officer who will present in front of the Board for the current year to state their name, title and current Qualifications for the Record. 2. Upon completion, the Chairman will ask for a Motion to Approve the Qualification as presented. E. The Fourth Agenda Item during the Organizational Meeting shall be a Motion to Re- Adopt the WSCEB Policy for the current year with any Amendments, as applicable. F. The Fifth Agenda item during the Organization Meeting shall be a Motion to Re- Adopt the Finding of Fact and Relief Order Scripts for the current year and any Amendments, as applicable. G. The Agenda should continue as any other Regular Board Meeting once these Items have been completed. IX. HEARINGS 1. The Chairman shall open the Hearing and request the Clerk of the Board to read the Case Information. 2. The Chairman shall ask if the Respondent is present at the Hearing. Revised 02/14/08 CITY OF WINTER SPRINGS, FLORIDA WINTER SPRINGS CODE ENFORCEMENT BOARD POLICY MANUAL PAGE 7 OF 9 3. Swearing in of any Respondents/Witnesses. 4. The Chairman shall ask if the Respondent wishes to contest the charge(s). a) If charges are not contested, then the Board, at its discretion, may make a Motion for Finding of Fact and Order of Relief. b) The absence of a Respondent at a Hearing does not provide the Respondent the opportunity to answer this question on the Record. Therefore, the Code Officer must present their case before the Board. 5. The Chairman will ask the Code Officer, "Who is representing the City in this Case?" 6. The Chairman will ask the Respondent, "Who is representing you in this Case?" 7. The Code Officer will be asked to present his/her Opening Statement. This will include any Witnesses, Evidence and Affidavits. Respondent then has the opportunity to cross-examine. 8. The Code Board will be provided an opportunity to ask questions to the Code Officers and his/her Witnesses. 9. The Respondents will be asked to present his/her Opening Statement. This will include any Witnesses, Evidence and Affidavits. The Code Inspector has the opportunity to cross-examine. 10. The Code Board will be provided an opportunity to ask questions to the Respondents and his/her Witnesses. 11. The Code Officer will be asked to present his/her Closing Statement. This will include any rebuttals to testimony, or Evidence presented to the Board. 12. The Respondent will be asked to present his/her Closing Statement. This will include any rebuttals to testimony, or Evidence presented to the Board. 13. The Code Board will be provided an opportunity to ask questions to either the Code Officer or the Respondent. 14. The Chairman shall close the Q&A session between the Board and the parties and the Board shall go into deliberation. Revised 02/14/08 CITY OF WINTER SPRINGS, FLORIDA WINTER SPRINGS CODE ENFORCEMENT BOARD POLICY MANUAL PAGE 8 OF 9 A.) Deliberations 1. The Board may only consider Evidence and testimony which was presented at the Hearing. 2. Upon completion of deliberation, the Board shall issue a Motion for Finding of Fact and Relief Order, if applicable. 3. For Finding of Fact, a Board Member will state the page number and that the Respondent i~s has or has not Violated the Section Number of City Code and request that the Clerk of the Board give a full reading of the Motion. After the full reading, the Motion will then be seconded and then discussion will take place. After the discussion period has closed, the Vote will then be taken. 4. For Relief Orders, a Board Member will state the Relief Order letter, what the fine will be; what the fine for a Repeat Violation will be; and whether or not the Respondent is present at this Hearing. The Board Member will then request that the Clerk of the Board give a full reading of the Motion. After the full reading, the Motion will then be seconded and then discussion will take place. After the discussion period has closed, the Vote will then be taken. 5. If the standardized Finding of Fact or Relief Order Scripts are not applicable or need to be Amended, the Board Member who is making the Motion may do the full reading. 6. Upon completion of deliberation, the Chairman will request the Clerk of the Board to call the next Case. B.l Hearing Procedures 1. Objections. a) During testimony, a presiding Code Officer, Respondent or their representative, may "Object" to any statement or Evidence. At the moment of the Objection, the Hearing and any testimony must stop and the Chairman shall ask what the Objection is. Once the Objection has been heard, the Chairman shall state whether the Objection is "sustained" or "overruled" before the Hearing can continue. C.) Introduction of Evidence 1. Items entered into Evidence will be designated with a evidentiary label with designation prefix of `WS' for Evidence submitted by the City and a designation prefix of `R' for Evidence submitted by the Respondent. Each item submitted into Evidence shall be identified with a unique sequential number for that Case. Revised 02/14/08 CITY OF WINTER SPRINGS, FLORIDA WINTER SPRINGS CODE ENFORCEMENT BOARD POLICY MANUAL PAGE 9 OF 9 2. The Chairman shall designate each item into Evidence using the evidentiary label described above. The Chairman shall identify the Evidence and its evidentiary label for the Record. 3. It is the responsibility of the presiding Code Officer, Respondent or their representative to submit items into Evidence. X. MISCELLANEOUS 1. If a Board Member has a change of contact information, the Board Member has (30) days to contact the Clerk of the Board to update the information. This is to guarantee that all contact information on file is current and correct. Revised 02/14/08