Submitted report

Kyle is one of the fastest growing cities in the country, which may be attributed to its small town feel and its proximity to I-35 among many other factors, yet very few companies are willing to relocate, expand or open shop in a city if it’s not well kept. Several firms and organizations are looking at Kyle, thinking about investing in this community and code enforcement is one way the city keeps things attractive and welcoming.

Meet Lupe Gil. As the city of Kyle’s Code Enforcement Officer, she helps keep the city of Kyle looking good by educating residents and business owners on the various city codes and seeking voluntary compliance with city ordinances.

Gil, who has been on the job in Kyle for about 10 years, speaks fluent English and Spanish and has an infectious smile. Her upbeat personality along with her no nonsense approach to code enforcement makes a powerful 1-2 combination.

Some people may believe city ordinances are just more rules designed to take away our freedoms and interfere with their rights as property owners.  But the goal of the Code Enforcement Officer is to prevent one person’s rights from impacting another person’s rights.

Common complaints the Code Enforcement Officer deals with are instances where someone’s not mowing their lawn, neighbors keeping old cars on cinder blocks in the front yard, home dwellers not taking in trash cans, people allowing dogs to roam free, graffiti on fences and walls and so on. And according to city officials, these are factors businesses look at when deciding where to locate.

Gil’s job is to encourage Kyle residents and business owners to follow those rules so everyone can enjoy the benefits of a safe, attractive community. This helps keep down criminal activity and helps property values remain competitive. Gil works her way around the city from quadrant to quadrant, always on the lookout for ways to keep the city up to code and looking orderly.

A morning ride-along in late September found her taking down yard sale signs from street light poles, removing illegal signs in the ground on public property and checking on specific complaints called in by residents. Along the way, she left door hangers for code violations for things like overgrown yards, a box spring in a driveway, cars with expired tags parked in the street and a large television that had been sitting on the sidewalk for about two weeks.

Those door hangers are not citations. They are just a reminder to take care of an issue voluntarily. On each one, Gil indicates the specific violation(s). Her phone number is included so residents can call her with any questions. She also writes down when she will re-inspect the property, generally 5-10 days later.

Gil said she’s had people tell her that code violations are just another money grab for the city, meaning, they think she seeks out what they perceive as minor violations just so she can write a citation and get money from Kyle residents and business owners.

A quick check of her monthly statistics report shows the opposite is true. In July, Gil received 110 complaints. She wrote 71 door hangers. She did 67 re-inspections. Yet she filed 0 complaints in court, so the city didn’t collect any fines for that month.

Not that long ago, Gil’s position was under the auspices of the city’s Building Department. Today, she’s a proud member of the Kyle Police Department.

Why the change?

Being the city’s code enforcement officer, Gil’s position took on a more serious tone when it moved into the law enforcement realm. While she’s not a sworn peace officer, Gil has the backing of her teammates in blue if needed, but she would prefer Kyle residents and business owners voluntarily comply with the rules.

What to do if you receive one of Lupe’s door hangers.

1. Smile. She cared enough to stop and offer ideas for making your neighborhood cleaner, nicer and safer.

2. Remove the item/mow/fix the issue indicated on the door hanger.

3. Contact the city with any questions.

4. Keep your property looking sharp and remind neighbors of the importance of keeping your community looking good.

Most common code violation complaints in July 2015:

Illegal signs: 31

Overgrown Properties: 17

Care of premises: 17

Nuisance vehicles: 10

Learn more and help keep Kyle looking good at  www.cityofkyle.com