On a summer afternoon, Clark County code enforcement officer John Scukanec pulled up to a recently reported home. Furniture and boxes were strewn across the lawn. A car with shattered windows was parked in front. The garage door was ajar, revealing more boxes towered high.
“There are several cubic yards of clutter (household/usable items mostly) scattered all over the driveway and yard,” Scukanec jotted in his notes. “Big mess.”
Scukanec stepped gingerly through the yard as he approached the house, calling out “Clark County code enforcement” as he heard a door opening.
The woman who stepped outside, clearly frazzled, told Scukanec a story of a long marriage turned sour, her car windows smashed out and her belongings thrown everywhere during a fight.
Scukanec noted the encounter: “Sounds like a nice lady in a tough situation.”
The Clark County code enforcement office is made up of two officers, along with two supporting staff members, to respond to the hundreds of calls the office receives. As of Aug. 27, code enforcement had responded to 692 complaints ranging from reports of tall grass and buildings without permits to illegal signs.
“They’re all really dedicated long-term employees that know their stuff,” enforcement manager Paul Scarpelli said.
As a 13-year veteran of the Clark County code enforcement office, Scukanec sees a lot of people in “tough situations.”
Some of the calls Scukanec responds to are simple: a vacant property open to the public for example, or a report that turns out to be unfounded. But some take more care and attention. It can take weeks for a case to close — after the initial inspection, officers may reinspect a home several times. If the person complies, the case is closed. If not, the person will face fines and may face legal action if they continue to fail to comply.
So what may come across as code enforcement failing to respond, which is a complaint made often by disgruntled neighbors, may actually be an officer working closely with homeowners to ensure they have what they need to comply with county code.
“I’ve never in 13 years shown up and (immediately) given someone a ticket,” Scukanec said.
For many people, engaging with code enforcement may be the only time they work with the county, Scukanec said. If he can leave a complaint on a positive note, that can go a long way toward ensuring people have a positive impression of the county, he said.
“If we can do that, that’s a win,” he said.
