Questions from the Campaign Trail – Code Compliance

It was quite a weekend! My family came to help with the campaign. My cousin John came all the way from Pennsylvania, my sister Kate from South Carolina and my sister Pat from right here in Georgia. For the record, this was the third time Pat has been on the campaign trail with me. Organizing my family is a bit like herding cats, but we got the job done in Districts 1 & 2.

Together we reached Chapel Glen, Club Creek, Glen Court, Lancaster Manor, Lockridge Forest, Spalding Bluff, Spalding Chapel, Spalding Corners, Peachtree Forest and River Valley Estates. I continue to be heartened by the response we receive. I want to thank everyone who took the time to speak with us and ask us questions. A special thank you to all who stated I have their vote and to those who put my signs in their yards.

I continue to hear confusion about the vote. I did my best to correct that confusion. I also got a number of questions this weekend on ther topics. One of those was “What about Code Compliance? Are you going to be the code Nazis?” Short answer to question #2 is no.

What does Code Compliance really mean? In essence, it is all about maintenance standards. The county already has the ability to enforce the codes that are on the books. The same codes the city will adopt as a starting point. Do you have grass over a foot tall in your yard? The county can cite you now!

Here is a link to the county Property Maintenance Ordinance.  In general, the county has been reactive, rather than proactive in its approach to enforcement. They will respond to requests. The exception is the code sweep, where a troubled area is targeted and cited. This generally results in an improvement in the area and less criminal activity.

For the city, it means we can begin to bring neglected and poorly maintained properties up to a common standard. The vast majority of our residential areas are already in great shape. There would be no need to send patrols into those areas. In general, it would be run down, commercial areas that would be the focus. Once these properties are brought back, we can begin to attract the businesses that we want to those areas our community that have been neglected.

How will we implement Code Compliance? Most candidates support contracting this service out. We have a number of options from contracting with the county or going with a private contractor. By using a contract work force, we can start with an initial, larger force to start the work then cut that force back as we achieve our goals.

As we move forward, I would look to our citizens for feedback on any changes to the county standards to ensure the community has a voice. I also support an appeals and review process to ensure that the process is fair and meets the requirements of the community.

Thanks again to all who have taken the time to speak with me! It has been a great campaign. Serving this community would be an honor, one I would not take lightly!

I hope I have earned your vote on March 6th or the City Council At Large Post 4.

Jeanne Aulbach, Candidate

Peachtree Corners City Council At-Large Post 4

http://jeanne4peachtreecorners.com/