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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,
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,
partners in the community and nationwide, and with other city departments in support of youth and families while building and
protecting 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, and
sterilization / vaccination services. Animal Services’ effort to control
Arlington’s feral cat population gained significant momentum in FY
2019 when a Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) animal transport van was
purchased with funding from a $26,000 anonymous donation,
received in latter FY 2018. Additionally, Best Friends Animal Society
awarded $60,000 in grant funds towards a dedicated TNR
Technician position for over one year, including $2,000 for supplies
and equipment to help with this community effort. The TNR program received an additional boost with a $5,000 grant award
from Maddie’s Fund, allowing for additional Feral Cat Sunday events for Arlington feral and community cats to receive spay or
neuter, rabies vaccine, and an ear-tip to be easily identified as already participating in the program. During the first nine months
of FY 2019, over 600 feral and community cats have received life-saving services. The TNR program helps reduce the number
of feral, free-roaming cats through sterilization, which stops the breeding cycle, and provides for the prevention of an untold
number of feral kittens that may struggle to survive.

Both Animal Services and Code Compliance are putting technology to work by publishing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
on the new City of Arlington website. With a couple of simple clicks, visitors to the website can see the animal live-release rate,
number of visits to TNR locations, number of dangerous and substandard structures (DSS) cases closed, and much more.

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. Code Compliance
works closely with property owners until compliance is achieved or it becomes necessary to mitigate a hazard and take additional
enforcement measures. In FY 2019, Code Compliance staff visited public schools on Career Day educating youth on how to
champion great neighborhoods. The department also administers the Dangerous and Substandard Structures (DSS) and
Graffiti Abatement programs. The following two new programs were implemented: 1) short-term rental (STR) enforcement and
2) the Neighborhood Enhancement Team. The STR Code Compliance Officer responds and investigates complaints in
accordance to the newly adopted STR ordinance. The Neighborhood Enhancement Team is tasked to identify neighborhoods
at-risk by conducting targeted inspection activities, organizing events to educate residents, and building effective partnerships
with community leaders to enhance public safety, improve recurring beatification efforts and promote economic
development. City Council also adopted a Donation Box Ordinance to address health and safety concerns that donation bins

2020 Adopted Budget and Business Plan 10 City of Arlington, Texas