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Red plastic keg cups usually represent a good time at parties, but in Pullman it could represent a minimum fine of $150.

John Sherman, Pullman city supervisor, and other members of Pullman City Council consolidated the previous nuisance guidelines and added additional provisions involving city regulations to form the nuisance ordinance, he said.

It also aimed to make the city more proactive in cleanup by asking for officers to monitor and actively look for violations, Sherman said.

According to the Nuisance Housing Ordinance Discussion Memo by Laura McAloon, Pullman city attorney, the nuisance ordinance helps regulate noise levels and hold landlords responsible for property cleanup. It incorporates everything from party cleanup to limitations on overhanging plants.

On April 4, 2007, Pullman City Council members passed the nuisance ordinance in an effort to consolidate the numerous community disturbance codes. Yet still, two years later, it is listed on the Pullman Police department's website under 2009-2012 long term goals.

Commander Chris Tennant of the Pullman Police Department understands the hardship of implementing such a broad ordinance. Educating people takes time and enforcingthe ordinance will not happen overnight, he said.

The Police Department focuses on two main goals in regards to the nuisance ordinance, he said.

"One you have to get the officers used to enforcing it and two you need to get the public informed," Tennant said.

It is pointless to write someone a ticket who does not understand what they are being ticketed for or how to solve the problem, he said.

Officers write tickets to those who do not comply with the ordinance regulations, especially for litter infractions. Fine for the first offense is $150 and can increase to $500 if the person fails to clean up, Tennant said.

Although the nuisance ordinance is in place a lot of people are not ticketed, Tennant said. Most people comply when they are told to pick something up so we do not fine them, he said.

“If they decide not to be good neighbors then we can give them tickets,” he said.

Yet, the biggest nuisance Pullman police deal with is party regulation including clean up and noise, Tennant said.

“Obviously College Hill is party central,” he said.

When contacted during a party, police try to inform the residents about the nuisance ordinance so they know that the police will be back to check in on clean up, Tennant said.

Additionally, officers work with Dabco Property Management to aid enforcement of the nuisance ordinance.

Officer Scott Kirk is the College Hill beat officer. His jurisdiction stretches from college Hill to Merman apartment complexes, Tennant said.

A large portion of Kirk's job involves working with Dabco's management to make sure they understand how to properly follow nuisance codes, Tennant said.

However, little police involvement is necessary on Dabco properties.

"They really don't have much of a problem in general because the managers do a lot of the nuisance type work. They maintain their property pretty well so we don't have to get involved," he said.

Carol Ann Andrufski, Dabco office manager for Birch Hills Apartments, agrees with Commander Tennant's description.

“Sometimes people just automatically call the police with complaints instead of us or the police will just hear about a disturbance. Mostly though the resident managers handle it,” Andrufski said.

Resident managers are given cell phones connected to the main office so they can take all calls after the offices close, she said.

“The resident manager’s job is to patrol the area. They basically work a real graveyard shift, from 5 p.m. till 8 a.m.,” Andrufski said.

Dabco tenants are given two warnings before being fined for noise complaints, she said. The third complaint results in a fine of $100, she said.

“Usually if someone gets one noise complaint they will get another one because it’s the party spot or just a certain crowd,” Andrufski said.

Noise infractions are complaint based but litter is strictly monitored, she said. Managers scan the property and write down which tenant has litter, she said. The tenant is then given a notice asking them to clean up their area. After the second drive by if the trash is not gone, it is $10 per item, Andrufski said.

“To stay with city regulation we follow the guidelines in our memo book. It has about 200 pages about Dabco rules, city codes, laws and regulations,” she said.



Sources:
Carol Ann Andrufski
(509) 334-6266

John Sherman
(509) 338-3212

Chris Tennant
(509) 334-4555

Documents thanks to: Michol Ann JensenExecutive Assistant 338-3208
Laura McAloon
(509) 338-3209