Community Relations Division
The Community Relations Division is commanded by Commander Anson Shells, who has been with the department for 19 years. The Community Relations Division is responsible for city zoning and codes violations of all types whether they are citizen initiated or officer initiated. Our team is well trained in investigating violations, and the officers work diligently to remediate them, either through the City’s livability court process or through other acceptable methods. The Community Relations Division falls under the direct command of a Commander, who reports directly to the Chief of Police.
The Community Relations Division is currently comprised of the Codes and Zoning Enforcement Unit
Codes Enforcement and Neighborhood Redevelopment
The City of Florence is in the ongoing process of neighborhood redevelopment and the Community Relations Division’s Codes Enforcement Unit plays an important role in that effort. Most neighborhood problems are effectively resolved through the City’s normal enforcement procedures. There are however some areas of the city that require more enforcement activity because of the greater number of property maintenance problems in those neighborhoods. Many of these neighborhoods are part of the City’s neighborhood redevelopment effort. Here, the role of the Zoning and Codes Enforcement Unit is to identify derelict property conditions and to follow through with enforcement all the way to remediation. The division also works in partnership with other divisions of the City such as Community Services, Planning and Zoning, and Public Works to eliminate neighborhood problems that hinder redevelopment efforts.
Codes Enforcement and the Rental Registry
The City of Florence has a Rental Registry Ordinance which is enforced by the Codes and Zoning Enforcement Unit. The ordinance requires that rental property owners comply with all property maintenance and zoning requirements of the City of Florence. It further requires owners to obtain a rental permit, and in some cases, a business license prior to being allowed to rent a property. The Rental Registry Ordinance can be found on the City’s website along with the City of Florence Code of Ordinances and the Unified Development Ordinance. If you wish to make a complaint, please contact us at (843) 665-3191 or you may register your complaint online through the City’s website.