BY J ESSI STONE N EWS EDITOR he Town of Franklin is moving forward with plans to hire a code enforcement officer after adding the new position to this year’s budget. The Franklin Town Council approved the job description at an Oct. 4 meeting and discussed their hopes and concerns for the new town employee. The code enforcement officer will be responsible for performing inspections to ensure compliance and will check for violations following complaints and issue violations and/or fines when violations have not been resolved by the offender. Salary range listed in the job
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October 13-19, 2021 Smoky Mountain News
past,” he said. “I don’t want us to make it illegal to be poor in the town of Franklin. As we try to gain compliance, we may need to review our ordinances to make sure we’re not trapping people.” Many residents have come before the Council in the last couple of years with complaints about dilapidated houses in their neighborhoods or residents with junk cars and trash piled up on their property, allegedly causing rodent and litter problems. Culpepper said he worries about how the town will define people’s property as junk or not. “We may see stuff as unsightly, but it may not be junk or trash to them,” he said. “It may come down to semantics, and I’m not sure I want to “I don’t want us to make it illegal throw the hammer down on with stuff on their to be poor in the town of Franklin.” people porches.” The job description passed — David Culpepper unanimously. The town will soon start advertising for the job opening. description is $37,710 – $55,645 depending In a related issue, Police Chief Bill on experience and qualifications. Harrell and Capt. Devin Holland updated Based on recommendations from Town the board on the town’s growing homelessAttorney John Henning Jr. and Town ness problems — particularly the littering Manager Amie Owens, the board agreed under the bypass bridge near the Little that the position would need to be filled by Tennessee River Greenway. a sworn law enforcement officer but will be Holland said the problem was brought under the planning department umbrella. to his attention last winter when he found Based on her experience in code enforcepeople living under the bridge with tents ment, Owens said having a sworn officer and trash thrown everywhere. Normally, he makes it easier for the staff member to hansaid, the N.C. Department of Transportation dle ALE (alcohol) regulations and deal with has “No Trespassing” signs posted on their situations with the public that could escalate. bridges, but the bypass bridge doesn’t have “From my personal experience, there one. Since DOT is recognizing the current were some compliance issues with enforceCOVID-19 recommendations, state officials ment where I would catch the brunt of are not enforcing any regulation that would things, but people show different behavior require the removal or relocation of people when it’s a police officer,” she said. experiencing homelessness. Henning agreed a sworn officer was the “We can usher the homeless people out best choice, saying that Town Planner Justin of that area, but DOT is not going to back Setzer sometimes takes a law enforcement us up if we charge them for trespassing,” officer with him on compliance calls for his Holland said, adding that pressing charges own safety. would be useless if DOT officials don’t show Since this is a new position and marks up in court to testify. “Arrest is our last the town’s intentions to get more serious resort because it’s just a temporary fix.” about enforcing ordinances, Owens said Holland said offers to assist these efforts would be made to let residents and unsheltered folks in acquiring a state photo businesses know what is happening. ID or receiving services through No Wrong “There’s going to have to be an educaDoor or Macon New Beginnings have not tional component in the beginning for resibeen taken. dents because they don’t exactly know what Councilmember Dinah Mashburn, who the code says. We’ll have information availworks with No Wrong Door, said she appreable on our website and we’ll send informaciated the police department’s efforts to tion out with the next water bill,” she said. keep the town clean and safe, but admitted Councilmember David Culpepper said that there’s nowhere for those folks to go if he was in favor of hiring a code enforcethey leave the bridge. The grant the organiment officer but had some concerns about zation received to pay for hotel stays has having overzealous enforcement. dried up and the long-term rental options “I think this is one of the more imporin the county are slim. tant hires we’ve done, and we need to tread “The last few weeks we’ve taken money lightly with this considering we haven’t out of our own pockets to put people in gone crazy with code enforcement in the hotels,” she said.
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Franklin to hire code enforcement officer
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