City, County Discuss Code Enforcement

All members of the Jasper County Board of Commissioners and Monticello City Council, along with their managers and attorneys gathered Monday evening for the group’s initial meeting on code enforcement.

Parts of the groups have been meeting, with attorneys for the city and the county drawing up intergovernmental agreements. However, Monday evening’s meeting was primarily to be sure everyone was on the same page and in agreement to move forward with the partnership between the city and the county so that the city can begin enforcing its junk ordinances and other code enforcement policies.

Former Monticello City Manager Tim Young facilitated the meeting, outlining the goals for the night and the future. After some discussion, those present agreed to shoot for an October 1 agreement so that the partnership can go to work no later than January 1, 2021.

The discussion of what the future will look like has the city hiring a full time person for code enforcement who will be supported when needed by the county’s code enforcement office.

Before the joint meeting, an investigative committee of the City Council met to discuss an ethics complaint, and agreed to send it to the ethics board.