NLV adds code enforcement fees to prop up budget

By Erin Dostal

Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2010 | 8:45 p.m.

North Las Vegas hopes to increase revenue coming into the city by charging for some of the code enforcement services the city already provides.

After a presentation by Assistant Fire Chief and Fire Marshal James Frater, the city council voted unanimously to enforce the new fees.

The ordinance is expected to generate about $212,000 in revenue annually, officials said.

Under the ordinance, the city would charge $130 for each additional inspection when a citizen didn't comply with code, such as if a resident had trash in their yard and failed to bring the yard up to code. The fee would be targeted toward citizens with routine violations. The city rarely charges a fee on the first violation, Frater said.

The ordinance also includes administrative fees for abatements and liens on homes going into foreclosure, Frater said.

The violator would be required to pay $330 per abatement and $200 per lien, plus the cost of a contractor to make improvements to a property, Frater said.

“We are just hoping to get reimbursed for the processes we already do,” he said.

The city manager would have the power to waive fees if it was deemed appropriate under specific circumstances, Frater said.