Malad City is happy to welcome its new Code Enforcement Officer, John Christophersen, who was officially sworn in by Mayor Joan Hawkins on Monday, September 18.  Christophersen is excited to begin his new position with the city, in which he will be working to enforce the ordinances on the books covering a range of concerns.  After many months of discussion with the Sheriff’s Office about the large number of calls related to ordinance enforcement that are necessarily lower priorities for the Sheriff’s Office than criminal issues, traffic accidents, and other policing matters, it was determined that a dedicated Code Enforcement individual would be the best solution.  Sheriff Jones has reported to both the City Council and Board of County Commissioners during the year that the call volume into dispatch has been steadily increasing.  In addition, there are several vacancies on the force at the moment, which further limit the amount of time the office can devote to code enforcement.  Christophersen will become the primary point person within the city limits responsible for the large number of misdemeanors, citations, warnings, and notifications that result from the city code.

The City Code covers a range of issues including nuisances (noise, trash, weeds and vegetation, and so on), parking, and most pressingly at the moment, animals.  Of the dozens of calls received by the dispatchers on any given week, an outsized number of them are related to loose or aggressive animals, noise complaints related to animals, or violations of city ordinances related to the maintenance of animals within the city limits.  

As he has started into his first weeks of service, Christophersen has already begun dealing with many of those calls.  “I’ve been writing warnings for different animal issues already.  And we’ve got two animals in the pound already.  I’ve also been talking to people about weed abatement and maintaining their trees and bushes along the roadway,” Christopherson said.  

Christophersen plans to prioritize talking with people about any codes they might be in violation of as a first step.  He sees one of his primary functions as educating residents about regulations they may not necessarily be familiar with.  “My plan is to make sure to educate people on what the code says they can and can’t do before issuing any citations,” he said.  

One thing he points to that people may not be fully aware of is that the city requires dogs within the city limits to be licensed and vaccinated.  “It’s common for people to not have a license for their pets, and we’re looking down the road at running a clinic here in town to help people do that.”

The City Code and its particulars are fairly well known to Christophersen, who grew up in Malad and has lived here all his life.  He has also served as a law enforcement officer with the Sheriff’s Office until just recently, as well as having served as an officer for five years in the 1990s.  That connection to the community gives him an advantage in terms of being familiar with people in town, and many of the problems that arise from requirements of the city code.  

Some elements of the code are simply not well known, and that seems to be the starting point Christophersen is taking toward violations.  “There are a lot of things that are in the ordinances that can help to beautify the city.  That’s one of our priorities right now.”  Tree trimming, yard cleaning, and general maintenance are all covered in various sections of the code, and in many cases because violations have not been cited, people are simply not aware of their responsibilities regarding some issues.

On the other hand, there are also codes which appear to be purposefully ignored.  “Right now, it seems like people from outside the city might be dropping off dogs here just to get rid of them,” he said, noting an uptick in stray dogs over the last few months.  “We take them in and keep them for five days until we start looking at adopting them out.”  Anyone who thinks their dog may have been taken into the pound can contact John to find out.  The fee for retrieving an animal from the pound is a twenty dollar impound fee, as well as five dollars a day additional.  Animals will need to be licensed and vaccinated before they are released, which would carry an additional fee.

Anyone interested in wanting to foster or adopt an animal can also contact John for further information.  

As he gets more familiar with the position and the kinds of issues that seem to be most in need of addressing, the city will work to remind residents of the codes that affect those living within its limits.  “We’re going to really focus heavy on one or two codes at a time and help raise people’s awareness of them,” he said.  

John Christophersen can be reached at (208) 915-2422, or by contacting City Hall.  The city is in the process of getting him a city email address as well.  “If people have any concerns, complaints, or questions, they can call me at any time and leave a message if I’m not available.  They can even flag me down if they see me around town.”  For the present, he can be spotted in a white Ford Ranger.  The vehicle is being equipped with a bed that can accommodate at least two animals at a time.  Down the road, the city is looking to provide a dedicated vehicle for the position.