Peabody struggles with who’s in charge of code
Staff writer
Peabody’s public health and safety officer, Denise Jantz, says police, public works employees, a private contractor and she have overlapping code-enforcement duties, but she cannot determine what work others completed.
“Who’s going to do code enforcement? Who’s in charge?” she asked city council members Monday.
Jantz’s one-year, $1,800-a-month contract assigns her to inspect properties, send notices, and manage cases.
It took more than two weeks after council members approved her contract July 27 for Jantz to begin inspections, she said.
To do her contracted work, she bought a cellphone and email domain and created an online workspace at her own expense.
Officer Charles Walker gave her 47 cases, but duplicate addresses, dates, and violations reduced the total to approximately 30, Jantz said. She opened nine additional cases involving 37 violations.
Police continued code-enforcement work, and public works employees mowed nuisance properties without communicating with her, Jantz said.
She also could not obtain records showing which properties Professional Code Compliance had inspected or notified.
In an Aug. 4 email, Jantz asked city administrator Paul Leeker and Mayor Bailey Penner for PCC’s notices and reports so she would not have to restart enforcement.
Three files Jantz eventually reviewed contained photographs from 2025 and January 2026 and notices from 2025, forcing cases to be restarted, she said.
Before Jantz spoke to the council Monday, council member Linda Martinez withdrew previous criticism of PCC after learning that packets the company presented in March stalled because Peabody lost its council quorum and city attorney.
“It wasn’t that they dropped the ball; it was that basically we dropped the ball?” Martinez asked.
“There was nobody there to pick up the ball,” Leeker said.
Martinez apologized to PCC. Council members took no action because its contract remains in effect.
Leeker said that Jantz, PCC, police and city attorneys would have to determine what work had been completed and which notices could proceed.
Jantz proposed a written process identifying who would inspect properties, send notices, authorize work, maintain records, and submit unpaid charges for collection on property-tax bills.
A county letter requires notices, itemized bills, and proof of certified mailing before unpaid mowing charges can be added to tax bills.
County employees told her that Peabody had submitted no charges for more than two years, Jantz said.
Incomplete records could prevent the city from recovering future costs, she warned.
Council members sent her proposal to city attorney Tim Hodge for review. Penner directed that Jantz oversee abatements and residential mowing in the meantime.
Council members did approved Jantz’s recommended $200-an-hour mowing and cleanup charge.
Public works superintendent Aaron Waddell proposed a $60 first-hour minimum and $48 for each additional hour based on labor, equipment, and travel costs.
Jantz said that omitted inspection, notice, record, and collection expenses.
Older invoices showed a $200 hourly charge, but officials could not locate a resolution adopting it.