City of Columbus Code Enforcement Office 1621 Main

City of Columbus Code Enforcement Office 1621 Main Street, Columbus, MS 39701 662 -245 -5063 Code Enforcement Division

Taking Pride in Your City As you drive through Columbus you will notice the pride that is taken in our City. This pride is evident each time that you see a maintained yard and house. Unfortunately, however, everyone does not feel this same pride, and sometimes property is not maintained and becomes run down. It only takes one unsightly house to destroy the look of the rest of a well-maintained neighborhood. The Code Enforcement Office seeks your cooperation in making your neighborhood a clean and pleasant place to live by complying with the City’s nuisance and housing codes. The primary goal of code enforcement is to promote a clean, healthy and safe living and/or working environment for the citizens of Columbus by enforcing the City Ordinances.

What does a Code Enforcement Officer Do? The code enforcement officer periodically inspects properties inside the City Limits and enforces code requirements and local zoning. Complaints from the public are also received by phone, in person, and in letter; each complaint is investigated for validity. Prior to citations, code enforcement officer brings the violations to the attention of the homeowner/occupant

Code Enforcement Do’s and Don’t • Code Enforcement officer can write up a property from the right a way. • Code Enforcement officer can not do any interior inspections without the tenant/owner permission • Probable cause to inspect is 50% of exterior must be dilapidated to trigger a interior inspection

Code Enforcement Violations • Some of the basic environmental/nuisance violations include: • High grass, weeds, shrubbery, undergrowth, brush. • Overgrown or trash/junk filled vacant lots.

Procedures • Starting a Notice of Violation: • Inspect property and determine whether it is an overgrown lot and/or dilapidated house. • Take pictures of the property • Look up property owner, parcel, contact info, and etc. on Lowndes County tax assessor website. • Write up Notice of Violation for the property and scan pictures into software.

Procedures • Print out notice of violation and mail to homeowner. • Wait 7 -10 days before re-inspecting property to see if owner complies to violation or applies for permit. • If after the 7 -10 days and no changes have occurred, the information will be sent to legal for hearing before mayor and councilmen.

Procedures • Two weeks before the hearing a notice is put in the owner’s yard to notify them about the hearing before mayor and councilmen. • Mayor and council make a decision whether to abate property and/or issue order.

Burned Housing Procedures • Contact the code enforcement officer • Code enforcement officer will contact the fire training officer to see if structure can be burned. • If structure can be burned, an asbestos inspection must be obtained. • After the asbestos inspection is done, The Fire Department will set a date for burning

Code Enforcement Info • • Tomarris Jones Code Enforcement Officer 662 -245 -5063 -Office 662 -251 -2359 -Cell • Jarion Jones • Code Enforcement Clerk • 662 -245 -5070 -Office