Flemington Boro taking personal approach to ordinance enforcement
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FLEMINGTON -- Flemington Borough Council is taking a more personal approach to ordinance enforcement following a new proposal during last Thursday's meeting, hoping that a conversation at resident's doors can solve problems before they escalate into costly citations and court proceedings, amongst other business.
Council unanimously approved the appointment of Light-Heigel as the borough's ordinance enforcement firm during its recent meeting, but members made clear they do not want to immediately turn every violation over to the outside firm.
Instead, council plans to have members of its International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC) Committee make initial contact with residents who are believed to be violating borough ordinances.
The committee will provide what council described as a "friendly reminder," explain the violation and give the property owner a copy of the applicable ordinance.
"If we go and talk to them first, we can nip a lot of things in the bud," Councilmember Dave Grimm said.
The approach is designed to save the borough money while giving residents an opportunity to correct problems without facing formal enforcement.
Council members said Light-Heigel's involvement could cost the borough at least $500 for a matter, with costs potentially reaching $800 to $1,000 if a case proceeds to court.
Grimm said he believes many of the borough's ordinance issues can be resolved through communication.
"I like to communicate with people," he said. "I like to sit down with them and explain things to them and see if you can't work things out."
Under the proposed process, the IPMC Committee would make the initial contact. If the problem remains unresolved, a more formal notice would be issued by a borough employee. Continued noncompliance could then be referred to Light-Heigel.
Council members emphasized that the "friendly reminders" from borough council would not constitute a legal notice or start any formal enforcement timeline.
One example discussed involved an ongoing yard sale on Woods Avenue that council members said had continued beyond the number of days permitted under borough ordinance.
Rather than immediately pursue enforcement, the committee plans to speak with the property owners and provide a copy of the yard sale ordinance.
"I don't think they knew and understood what the situation was," Grimm said. "All we're trying to do is bring them up to date on what's going on."
In other business:
-- Council also began planning for maintenance of the borough's traffic signal system.
Members discussed a $1,600 annual maintenance proposal from Lucky Electric and the possibility of budgeting approximately $1,700 to $1,800 for professional maintenance in 2027.
-- Council is also looking at repairs to the building at the Little League field that currently serves as a concession stand.
-- Council approved a sewage facilities planning module for the Flemington Manor storage facility project. Approval of the module allows the project to move forward to the next stage of development.