Community Service Officer

 

The Community Service Officer is responsible for the enforcement of certain regulatory ordinances within the City of Newport, particularly in regards to attractive nuisance violations and abandoned vehicles.

 

The Community Service Officer:

 

           Enforces the laws and ordinances of the City and State

            Issues summons to persons in violation

            Handles citizens complaints

            Prepares reports

            Patrols City in a preventive manner

            Reports violations and hazardous conditions; takes corrective action when necessary

            Testifies in court

            Issues parking violations

            Safety, sanitation, and health hazards

            Advertising violations

            Junk yard violations

            Abandoned

 

Abandoned/Nuisance Vehicles

 

The Newport Police Department often receives calls regarding abandoned/nuisance vehicles and/or oversized vehicles being parked on city streets, and impound fees relating to a vehicle being towed. Here you will find an explanation of the Department’s Nuisance Vehicle Program, impound fees, and also list the City’s Municipal Codes for oversized vehicle and trailer parking on public streets. 

 

If you suspect a vehicle in your neighborhood has been abandoned, is a nuisance or does not run, please call the Community Service Officer at 541-265-4847.

 

You will need to have the color, make, model, license plate number, and the address where the vehicle is parked in order to leave a message for the Community Service Officer.

 

The City of Newport has an ordinance, 6.15.020, against parking a vehicle more than 72 hours on a city street at any given time. To avoid a possible infraction the vehicle must be driven at least 2/10 of a mile (the odometer must actually show that movement.) The 72 hours begins when the Officer marks the tires and leaves a notice on the windshield. The odometer, date, and time marked will be recorded on the Officer's log.  At the end of the day, the database will be updated with the marked information. 

 

If a vehicle has been marked in the past, and continues to be on the nuisance list, the Community Service Officer may decide to covertly mark the vehicle. This will be a mark that only the CSO will know about and a notice will not be left. We feel that once the vehicle has been marked, and a notice issued, the registered owner of the vehicle is now aware of the ordinance and it is their responsibility to move the vehicle at least 2/10 of a mile. 

 

Impound Fees

 

In the event your vehicle is towed, and depending on the reason for the tow, an impounded vehicle can be held for up to 30 days by an independent tow company. If the vehicle is not claimed by the owner after 30 days, the vehicle is then forfeited to the tow company.

 

To obtain a release, the vehicle's registered owner must have:

• Current registration for the vehicle
• Proof of insurance for the vehicle
• A valid driver's license
• Payment of $100 to the City of Newport for administrative fees

 

 

If the registered owner does not have a valid driver's license, a person with a valid license must be present with the vehicle owner at the time of release.

 

If the registered owner is in custody, he/she may authorize release of the vehicle to another person.  A notarized letter stating in essence, "I authorize (name of person) to take my (vehicle description) out of impound." Officials at the jail may witness and notarize the request for release. The authorized person must meet the requirements outlined above.

 

If the registered owner is unable to pick up the impounded vehicle, he/she may authorize the vehicle's release to another person. The person must have a note signed by the registered owner authorizing the vehicle's release and a photocopy of the registered owner's driver's license or other acceptable identification; the signatures on the note and the photocopied ID must match. The authorized person must meet the requirements outlined above.

 

If a vehicle has been towed for violation of 72-hour parking and a citation was issued, the registered owner must pay a fine of $100. In addition, an infraction of a Nuisance Vehicle citation carries a $1,000 fine.

Attractive Nuisances

City Ordinance 8.10.050 pertains to attractive nuisances within the City. The Community Service Officer enforces violations by home and business owners who fail to meet the requirements as described in the city ordinance.

 

No owner or person in charge of property may permit:

 

          Unguarded machinery, equipment or other devices on such property that are attractive, dangerous and accessible to children
          Lumber, logs, firewood, building materials or pilings placed or stored on such property in a manner so as to be attractive, dangerous and accessible to children
          An open pit, quarry, cistern, or other excavation without erecting adequate safeguards or barriers to prevent such places from being used by children
         Structures such as partially completed, partially demolished, or abandoned buildings that are attractive, dangerous and accessible to children
          Outdoor storage of inoperable vehicles and other vehicles not used for transportation without a sight-obscuring fence, wall, or other visual and physical barrier, regardless of whether vehicle storage is a permitted use in the zone

This does not apply to authorized construction projects, if during the course of construction reasonable safeguards are maintained to prevent injury or death to playing children.

The owner or person in charge of the property can be fined $1,000 for attractive nuisance violations.