Guest Column: City Codes Enforcement Focuses On Citizen Safety

​by Mike Russell, City of Grain Valley Building Official
 

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     I have served as Building Official for this fine City for the last six months.  The amount of growth in this community makes it an enjoyable and exciting place to work, for sure.  We have issued more than 100 residential home permits in 2019.  Taco Bell and Temp Stop opened their doors last week.  QuikTrip has broken ground and will be open sometime in Spring 2020. 
     I’d like to take this opportunity to address a pretty “hot topic” amongst citizens.  I’ve worked in municipalities for more than 15 years, and across the board, there’s a common misunderstanding about the work that our Codes Enforcement officer does. 
     I supervise this division and think it’s important for you to know that the purpose of codes enforcement is to protect citizens and safeguard properties throughout the city. 
     The majority of code infractions that the Code Enforcement Officer checks into have been reported to him from other concerned citizens.  We are not out to get you or picking on you, but serving you by ensuring that properties are kept to the standards as specified in the municipal code. 
     The Community Development Department did not write the codes that govern the laws of Grain Valley.  However, we have been tasked with enforcing them.  We do not get to handpick the code that we enforce. 
     All suspected violations are investigated with equal diligence to ensure resolution.  If you are cited for a code violation, you will be given written notice and a specific time frame in which you are expected to correct it. 
     If you are unable to correct the issue within the requested amount of time, simply contact the Codes Enforcement Officer to request an extension.  We are here to serve you and will work with you whenever possible, as long as you are maintaining open communication with us until the matter is resolved. 
     We encourage citizens to submit complaints and questions regarding city code to info@cityofgrainvalley.org or call 816-847-6227.  The municipal code can be viewed at www.cityofgrainvalley.org.