It’s been just over a year since John Bradley became the Long County code enforcement office. Prior to starting his job, the county had several ordinances regulating such matters as solid waste, timber and pulpwood and salvage yards but there was no one to oversee their enforcement.
“When we first started, all we had was a stack of ordinances, and we were told to make it happen,” Bradley said.
“We” included himself and his assistant, Michelle Poppell, who has been with him throughout the past year.
An area where there has been dramatic change pertains to the subdivision ordinance. Until May 2006, the county had never required contractors to purchase building permits, so with no permits, there were no inspections.
Asked about the public’s reaction to the change in policy, Poppell said, “They were surprised, and really didn’t know what to expect. Once they saw that Mr. Bradley treated everyone the same, and it didn’t matter who you were, everyone seemed to accept the changes well and be supportive.”
Since May, the office has sold 360 building permits for new construction, bringing $65,000 into the county.
Change has also taken place is in the enforcement of the Manufactured Home/MH Park Ordinance.
“There were no restrictions or regulations on people bringing mobile homes into the county, so in a lot of cases, we were getting somebody else’s junk,” Bradley said. “What people don’t realize is that when these homes are brought in, there are safety and health issues. If people are going to be living in these homes, they can’t be unsafe.”
The office also started inspecting mobile home parks, requiring owners to keep their parks up to standards.
During the past year, the office has brought in more than $150,000 in revenue, simply by enforcing codes, Bradley said.
But Bradley said there is still much work to do. An example is encouraging people to voice their views and concerns on proposed construction.
During the June commission meeting, several new sub-divisions were presented for review. On July 3 at 2 p.m., there will be a public hearing for each of the proposals giving the public a chance to comment on them.
Another goal of the office is to become the local issuing authority regarding EPD best management practices.
Currently, the county has no authority on such matters, and as a result, an $80 fee goes to the state every time a contractor clears more than one acre for building. Once the certification is attained, half of the fee will stay in the county.
The office is also working with the Regional Development Center, the tax assessors office and the commissioners to wrap up zoning regulations and standards for the county.
As a result of the workload, the office had to hire an additional employee, Jo Steen, this past month. She is now handling a lot of the inspections in the county.
“This office has accomplished a lot over the last year, and I couldn’t have done it without Michelle, and now Jo,” Bradley said, noting, “We will continue to keep trying to do a good job for everyone in the county.”
“When we first started, all we had was a stack of ordinances, and we were told to make it happen,” Bradley said.
“We” included himself and his assistant, Michelle Poppell, who has been with him throughout the past year.
An area where there has been dramatic change pertains to the subdivision ordinance. Until May 2006, the county had never required contractors to purchase building permits, so with no permits, there were no inspections.
Asked about the public’s reaction to the change in policy, Poppell said, “They were surprised, and really didn’t know what to expect. Once they saw that Mr. Bradley treated everyone the same, and it didn’t matter who you were, everyone seemed to accept the changes well and be supportive.”
Since May, the office has sold 360 building permits for new construction, bringing $65,000 into the county.
Change has also taken place is in the enforcement of the Manufactured Home/MH Park Ordinance.
“There were no restrictions or regulations on people bringing mobile homes into the county, so in a lot of cases, we were getting somebody else’s junk,” Bradley said. “What people don’t realize is that when these homes are brought in, there are safety and health issues. If people are going to be living in these homes, they can’t be unsafe.”
The office also started inspecting mobile home parks, requiring owners to keep their parks up to standards.
During the past year, the office has brought in more than $150,000 in revenue, simply by enforcing codes, Bradley said.
But Bradley said there is still much work to do. An example is encouraging people to voice their views and concerns on proposed construction.
During the June commission meeting, several new sub-divisions were presented for review. On July 3 at 2 p.m., there will be a public hearing for each of the proposals giving the public a chance to comment on them.
Another goal of the office is to become the local issuing authority regarding EPD best management practices.
Currently, the county has no authority on such matters, and as a result, an $80 fee goes to the state every time a contractor clears more than one acre for building. Once the certification is attained, half of the fee will stay in the county.
The office is also working with the Regional Development Center, the tax assessors office and the commissioners to wrap up zoning regulations and standards for the county.
As a result of the workload, the office had to hire an additional employee, Jo Steen, this past month. She is now handling a lot of the inspections in the county.
“This office has accomplished a lot over the last year, and I couldn’t have done it without Michelle, and now Jo,” Bradley said, noting, “We will continue to keep trying to do a good job for everyone in the county.”