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SUNNY Temp: 53 °F Wind: CLM at 0 mph Thursday, November 21, 2002 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend September 19, 2002 Medford works to fill new code-enforcement position By MEG LANDERS Mail Tribune Medford is looking for someone with patience, thick skin and a dedication to ordinances. "You have to have a good sense of humor," said Ron Barnett, who has been Central Point’s code enforcement officer for six years. The city of Medford is announcing a new, full-time code enforcement officer position, funded by a federal community development block grant. City officials hope to have the new officer in place in a few weeks. The salary is $2,787.17 to $3,561.33 per month, and benefits include full-family medical, dental and vision insurance (after a designated waiting period) as well as $20,000 life- and long- term disability insurance, and eligibility for PERS (Public Employees Retirement System) after six months. The job entails determining when property owners are out of compliance with Medford’s land development and nuisance regulations, and taking appropriate action. From roaming roosters to unwieldy weeds, abandoned autos to dumping oil down storm drains, a code enforcement officer gets to monitor violations and knock on the doors of strangers and tell them to tidy up. "It’s going to take a person with good diplomatic skills," said Louise Dix, the Medford neighborhood resource coordinator who will supervise the job, "because you don’t want people to get bent out of shape." Barnett said sometimes he can spot exactly where his jurisdiction ends — because that’s where the code violations begin, and he’s glad to see neighborhoods clean up. But it’s a lonely job, he said, and he can’t take the verbal abuse personally. "I’ve been called every name in the book," he said. "I’ve been called a communist. I’ve been called a Nazi. I’ve been called a communist Nazi. "I’ve been threatened more as a code enforcement officer than as 15 years as a police officer," he said. And people defend their trash. He said that he’s had less resistance from stopping a bank robber than from citing someone with an abandoned vehicle in his front yard. Barnett said one of his memorable notices came after a man complained about a pile of dog feces in his neighbor’s back yard. "This guy complained it was 6 feet high and 4 feet around," said Barnett. "I didn’t believe him." Responding to the call, Barnett found the description accurate. Barnett said the homeowner cleaned it up, willingly. Dix said the job in Medford has been divvied up in recent years between the fire, police and building departments. "One of the reasons we’re doing this is to have a central place so there’s one place for people to call," she said. Centralization will also help the city to keep track of the violations and follow through with citations, she said. She said she expects enforcement will come both from complaints and from violations the officer encounters making rounds. While the officer’s boundaries will be the city limits, she said, a lot of the enforcement will occur in areas ranging from Crater Lake Avenue to downtown to west Medford. Dix acknowledged that it’s a touchy subject to tell someone they need to clean up a mess. "The problem is it impacts the neighbors," she said. "And in many cases it can be a safety hazard." Barnett said he thinks the job makes a big difference in a city’s appearance. "It’s nice because people will tell me, ‘The city looks so much nicer than when you started,’ " he said. Dix said the new complaint phone number will be published after the position is filled. Applications are available at the Human Resources Department, room 392, Medford City Hall. They need to be returned by Oct. 4. Reach reporter Meg Landers at 776-4481 or e-mail [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright 1997-2002 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy webmaster feedback A D V E R T I S E R S