Page 25 - City of Arlington FY19 Adopted Operating Budget

Business Plan

SERVICE DELIVERY
One of the City’s primary functions is service delivery. The following information provides a brief narrative of each department
by city service team and the primary functions of the departments. Also included are some recent awards received.

NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES

The City of Arlington’s Neighborhood Services Team consists of the following departments: Code Compliance Services, Fire,
Human Resources, Libraries, Parks and Recreation, and Police. The mission of the Neighborhood Services Team is to
strengthen neighborhoods by providing services that maintain public safety and health, enhance livability, protect property
values, and encourage responsible neighbors.

Code Compliance Services consists of Animal Services and Code Compliance working as a team with Arlington citizens,
community partners and other city departments to build and protect thriving neighborhoods.

Animal Services’ award-winning team encourages responsible
pet ownership and provides for the humane care of stray and
unwanted animals. Programs offered include animal care
operations, pet adoptions, pet licensing, field enforcement
services, bite/dangerous animal investigations and a veterinary
clinic that provides health services to animals in the shelter’s
care including sterilization and vaccinations. More than 3,000
low-cost rabies vaccinations and sterilizations were
administered to community pets through partnerships with local
organizations over the past year and almost 13,000 citizens
were educated through community outreach programs. On
April 12, 2018, Arlington Animal Services became a Service
Enterprise Certified organization through the Best Friends
Animal Society Points of Life grants project. Cities that operate as a certified Service Enterprise effectively address the needs
of the community and better utilize and leverage volunteers and their skills, thus achieving an effective volunteer management
model. The certification will expand the shelter’s eligibility for additional grant funding when complete. Volunteer hours have
increased 29 percent for the first nine months of FY 2018 (12,048) compared to the same time period in FY 2017 (9,346).

Animal Services’ outreach programs were enhanced by a multitude of grants and donations during FY 2018. In October 2017,
AAS received a $25,000 grant from Best Friends Animal Society to spay/neuter and vaccinate 800 free-roaming cats in Arlington.
Best Friends provided the shelter another $50,000 in April 2018 for the Trap-Neuter-Return program. This generous grant funds
a full-time TNR Coordinator for one year and another 200 surgeries and vaccinations for free-roaming cats. An additional $5,000
grant was received from Maddie’s Fund in April 2018 for starter kits for the baby bottle program.

Code Compliance focuses on education to gain compliance with city ordinances pertaining to maintenance, sanitation,
rehabilitation, conservation and safety of existing residential and commercial properties. Code Compliance Officers inspect
single-family residential properties, multi-family properties, commercial properties and public swimming pools, and work closely
with property owners until compliance is achieved or the case moves to the judicial process. The department also administers
the Dangerous and Substandard Structures (DSS) and Graffiti Abatement programs. Compliance with City of Arlington codes
helps reduce vandalism, deter crime, maintain property values, and prevent deterioration of neighborhoods. In the past year,
officers completed almost 60,000 single family/commercial inspection activities, abated almost 200 graffiti complaints, and
closed almost 30 DSS cases. In FY 2018, Code Compliance implemented the First Time Offender Program to allow an
educational program option to residents who have received citations in lieu of paying a fine. This educational program includes
educating residents on common property code violations, animal codes, property maintenance and an introduction to the Ask
Arlington mobile application.

2019 Adopted Budget and Business Plan 10 City of Arlington, Texas