By Pat Culverhouse

Minden City Council members have been asked to study a pair of new ordinances proposed by Mayor Nick Cox, including one which would deal with construction on utility projects inside the city.

Cox presented the proposed ordinances for council members to study during a workshop prior to Monday’s regular meeting. A vote on the ordinances could come as early as the council’s February meeting.

Under the mayor’s utility project proposal, contractors would be required to obtain permits before beginning work. Cox said the purpose of the permit would be to reveal not only the scope of work but to identify who was doing the project.

“I’ve gone to some of these projects and asked people on the crews who they were working for, and what the project was. Time after time, they would reply, ‘I don’t know.’ I’m tired of contractors named I Don’t Know working in our city.”

Cox said not only the contractor would be identified under the permit process, but all subcontractors as well.

“We would require a complete list of those who would be involved, subcontractors and all,” he explained. “We would identify everyone involved and everything the project includes.”

Cox’s proposed ordinance would limit any contractor to five active permits, and makes provision that all projects show documentation of the before and after of the construction.

“This provision will ensure that when the contractor or its subs finish, the area is free of debris and meets our standards,” he said.

Ordinance provisions also give contractors the obligation to work only during approved hours, with consideration of changes approved only by Minden officials. The ordinance also allows city officials to shut down a project for violations, and Minden Chief of Police Jared McIver has agreed to provide officers to assist in shutdowns if necessary.

“Our public works department has put a lot of research, time and effort into this ordinance and it is very well written,” Cox said. “It is written so well that I think other cities will want to copy it.”

Cox told council members a part-time code enforcement official might be necessary to document the progress of contracted utility projects.

His second recommended ordinance targets condemned property issues at an administrative level. Cox said nothing would change in the city’s ordinance concerning items such as litter, junk, high grass abandoned vehicles or houses or any other property nuisance.

“What we’re suggesting is to establish an administrative court judge and a docket clerk to handle cases before it would have to go to a civil court,” the mayor said. “We already have a judge and clerk who have agreed to assume the duties.”

Cox said the administrative court would meet on the third Thursday of each month, and Ward Marshal Danny Weaver has agreed to provide security for the sessions.

Cox also asked council members to consider forming a seven-member Property Standards Review Committee in conjunction with the administrative actions. Each council member would nominate one member of the committee; the mayor would make two nominations. All would be subject to council approval.

“This proposed ordinance is just an effort to increase pride in our city,” Cox said.