The Hennessey Board of Trustees has voted to hire Henry Code Enforcement of Enid to help the town address code compliance issues involving weeds, trash, abandoned vehicles, dilapidated structures and other property maintenance concerns.
At the July 14 Board of Trustees meeting, Brian Henry, owner of Henry Code Enforcement, presented a proposal to assist the town with nuisance complaints and code violations.
Town Administrator Tiffany Rowen said using a third-party company helps remove the perception of favoritism that can arise in a small community when local employees are responsible for enforcing code violations involving friends, neighbors or other residents.
Henry explained that his company currently provides code enforcement services to numerous Oklahoma communities. He said the company’s approach is to first work with property owners through courtesy notices and give them an opportunity to correct violations before stronger enforcement measures are pursued.
During the August 11 Board of Trustees meeting, trustees voted unanimously to hire Henry Code Enforcement.
According to Town Hall, three of the most common code enforcement issues in Hennessey are weeds and trash, dilapidated buildings and abandoned motor vehicles.
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Under Hennessey’s town code, “trash” includes refuse, litter, ashes, leaves, debris, paper, combustible materials, rubbish, waste and other unused or uncared-for materials.
Weeds include vegetation exceeding 12 inches in height, with exceptions for healthy trees, shrubs and tended gardens. Vegetation may also be considered a violation, regardless of height, if it harbors trash, rodents or vermin, gives off unpleasant odors, creates a fire or traffic hazard, or is dead or diseased.
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Under Oklahoma state law, a dilapidated building can include a structure that has fallen into decay or partial ruin to the point that it poses a hazard to public health, safety or welfare.
The definition can also include a structure that is unfit for human occupancy because of a lack of necessary repairs, has repeatedly been determined to be unsecured, has been boarded and secured for more than six consecutive months, or has been declared a public nuisance by the municipality.
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Hennessey’s code defines an abandoned motor vehicle as a vehicle that does not have insurance verification and an unexpired license plate, and is in disrepair, wrecked, dismantled, partially dismantled, inoperative, abandoned or discarded and incapable of being moved under its own power.
This is just three of many of the town codes. Residents can review the complete Town of Hennessey Code Library through the town’s website or directly through the online code library found at the town website: ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฐ.๐๐๐ง๐ง๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ฒ๐จ๐ค.๐จ๐ซ๐
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