Code Enforcement
Importance of Code Enforcement
The City of Shawnee adopts ordinances, rules, and regulations that take into consideration the safety and well-being of the public. Enforcement of these ordinances can be essential to the provisions of safe and healthy living and working conditions for the members of the community.
Type of Violations and Timelines
Violations are split into two primary areas: property maintenance and nuisance abatement.
Property maintenance generally involves a structure, such as a home or building. The violations within that category can be relatively minor, such as a broken window, or more severe, such as a roof that has fallen in and exposed the structure to further damage from the elements. The timeline for property maintenance violations from the day they are reported to the City of Shawnee, until the day the issue has been resolved, could be a minimum of six months. The process provides property owners with an option to receive sufficient time to remedy violations.
Nuisance abatement cases are generally less severe in nature and can be addressed and remedied in a shorter period of time. These cases include tall weeds and grass, an inoperable vehicle, and the accumulation of junk or debris on a property. From the time an issue is reported to the City of Shawnee, the violation can generally be resolved in 45-60 days.
Reporting a Code Violation
The City of Shawnee wants to make our neighborhoods a great place to live. Citizens can email ActionCenterEmailGroup@shawneeok.org or call us at (405) 878-1602 to report neighborhood problems.
Responding to a Code Violation Notice
When property maintenance or nuisance code violations are reported and observed at a property, a warning letter is sent to the property owner of record, detailing the violations. Pursuant to state law, the notice period begins when the notice is mailed.
Please note that compliance with the Municipal Code is the goal of inspection activities. Code Enforcement staff will make every effort to work with you to obtain voluntary compliance. Extensions of time for correction of violations may be provided by the Code Enforcement Division in cases where good faith efforts are being made to correct the violation. Safety and neighborhood impacts will be the primary considerations when requests for extensions are received.
Communication is Key
If you receive a notice of violation from Shawnee Code Enforcement, it is important that you take immediate steps to address the matter. Each violation notice is assigned a City inspector who will be your primary contact throughout the process. The violation notice will include the contact information for your inspector.
Please contact the inspector as soon as possible if:
- You do not understand what is being requested
- You need more information
- You would like a site visit with the inspector to clarify the problem and discuss solutions
- You need additional time to bring your property into compliance
- You believe the notice was issued in error
If compliance is not achieved after warnings and/or Notices of Violation have been issued, Code Enforcement may employ one of the following methods to obtain compliance: