Big changes for Rockwall’s Code Enforcement Dept

Surveys, cookouts planned for community input

(ROCKWALL-April 30, 2013) The City of Rockwall’s Code Enforcement Department is:

• Changing its name – to Neighborhood Improvement Services Department (NIS);
• Changing its focus – from enforcement to improvements; and
• Changing its direction – a neighborhood’s priorities will become its priorities.

The department’s goal is to help foster a strong sense of community and to identify a neighborhood’s strengths and needs.

The Neighborhood Improvement Services Department’s staff, now known as reps instead of officers, wants to be assistants and solution finders for residents – rather than regulators – and they want to focus on improvements versus enforcement. The goal is to empower neighborhoods through resident participation and city regulations so every neighborhood will have a beautiful environment to call home.

Rockwall is a city of attractive neighborhoods kept that way with strong but fair property maintenance standards our residents believe to be reasonable, necessary and effective in making a positive impact on property values.

Now, the city wants residents to tell NIS what they want regulated.

The department will continue to seek compliance, but enforcement will be the last resort.

NIS officials will kick-off the revamped friendlier department by meeting with residents to learn their priority focus on neighborhood improvements – from high grass and weeds to junk vehicles and dilapidated structures.

“Tell us what you want taken care of first, tell us what we’re missing, tell us you will be our partners in making Rockwall more beautiful,” said Cliff Griffin, NIS supervisor.

It’s all about residents (our customers) being neighbors with city reps. They want to get to know residents better, and they want to be more involved in the neighborhoods where they work to get a better understanding of their customers’ priorities.

NIS is committed to delivering quality services that meet customers’ needs in a respectful and professional manner – and resident participation makes a difference. Department reps need the first-hand knowledge of residents to help them understand what works and what needs improvement, which makes resident input extremely valuable – in fact, it is the key to an effective program.

The newly named and more focused department’s current goal is to reach out to all areas of the city in a variety of ways – with surveys and with scheduled good old fashioned cookouts in the park in each designated area of the city. Residents will be notified by mail. Please plan to participate so we can get to know each other and gather your input on what you expect of the Neighborhood Improvement Services Department.

Submitted by Judy Evans.

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  code enforcement department, neighborhood improvement services, Rockwall, survey