Property issues should be focus of new employee
Published 10:00 am Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Everyone talks about wanting to give back to their community and really make a difference in the town where they grew up. Ironton resident John Willis will have the opportunity to do just that and get paid for his job at the same time.
Willis has been hired as the city’s new code enforcement officer. This job has two main components: building permits and property maintenance. Both are important to the city and can help pave the way for a bright future.
Code enforcement focuses mostly on new construction and building permits. This ensures that contractors follow the rules and build the best possible structures. The second aspect, property maintenance, is just as important and has been neglected for many years.
This part of the job is to ensure that Ironton residents maintain their property up to the standards outlined in the city’s ordinances.
For far too many years this has been an afterthought with little accountability for property owners who simply did not care. At one time the city had gone many years without ever citing anyone into court despite a myriad of obvious and long-running violations.
Willis has the opportunity to start with a clean slate and really give back to the town he loves.
After he overcomes a significant learning curve, Willis should be a good fit in this position and bring a fresh approach to making Ironton attractive to those who live here and those who would like to one day call the city home.