Bartow: Code Enforcement seeks to add Neighborhood Service Officer positions

Correction: An earlier version of this story attributed two quotations to Mayor Tanya Tucker that were said by Commissioner Trish Pfeiffer.

Three positions with Code Enforcement, to be known as Neighborhood Services Officers, or NSOs, which will replace the terms code enforcement and investigators, will be filled starting in 2027, bringing total staff to six, according to Assistant City Manager Tray Towles (pronounced tolls), who explained the reason and need to Bartow City Commissioners at the Sept. 15 regular meeting.

The overriding purpose, he said, was not to come down as a “hammer” on those not in compliance, but to develop quasi-partnerships.

“When I came here going out four years ago this January, after becoming more acquainted with the community, I realized that some of the conditions in our neighborhoods need to be improved,” said Towles. “So we developed a strategy that we’re looking for cooperation and relationship building versus seeking compliance first.”

Towles believes that approach will lead to positive outcomes, going citizen to citizen rather than just slapping a citation on a structure or property. Another benefit, he said, would be expediency.

“As times progress, people expect faster, more coordinated service,” he said. “You can see that with places like Amazon, where everybody wants everything right now, and so government’s not generally very good at getting everything done right now.”

The addition of three NSOs will help deliver remediations and improvements on a much quicker timeline, he asserted, adding that doing so is of utmost importance.

“Property maintenance, parking, nuisance conditions, and neighborhood appearances all affect investments, quality of life,” said Towles. “We know this. We know that if you let a neighborhood fall into disrepair, that will impact the property tax base and involve the neighborhood. The city needs a visible, accessible representative dedicated to solving negative issues.”

He then presented visual examples via PowerPoint to demonstrate and emphasize what was uncovered.

“We went throughout the entire city, and we looked at code violations, and what we did is we went street by street,” said Towles. “We found nearly a thousand code enforcement violations that were active at the time.”

What was discovered from Oct. 16, 2025 to Sept. 10, 2026 by just two Code Enforcement employees included a total of 789 situations, of which 385 were of high grass growth, and approximately 132 vehicle cases; of the latter, some involved more than one inoperable vehicle, with one situation a property that had at least 10 in one backyard. Other examples included outdoor storage in which debris was piled beneath, as well as structures that are either collapsing or near collapse.

Current Staffing

Towles pointed out that although there are supposed to be three full-time members of Code Enforcement, the actual count is just two investigators to commissioners.

Editor's note: It was originally posted as the department having only two investigators. The actually count is currently "two-and-a-half" investigators, as that "half person" is now finishing up training, according to Towles.

“We would have had three, but then we had one of our investigators moved to the police department and attend the police academy,” he said. “So, we lost her before we got our third position filled.”

“This is having an impact on the ability to fulfill current responsibilities in addition to undertaking the proposed approach.”

“We’d love to build relationships in a meaningful way, but the amount of cases that are coming in between complaints and proactive activity, it’s really difficult to build relationships beyond talking to people, trying to get them to address their code violations and then getting those violations addressed and moving on,” he said.

Breakdown and Justification

There will be five zones: four that encompass large swaths of land surrounding downtown, called quadrants. The fifth zone will focus solely on downtown. One officer will also work citywide, concentrating on commercial areas, litter enforcement, and stormwater-related violations.

Each quadrant will be served primarily by an NSO, with assistance from other city departments. Each NSO will build relationships, Towles reiterated.

“This is the person that our citizens can go to ask questions, to have their phone number, and reach out to them when they need something. This is a true on-call government person that people can reach when they need them,” he said. “These folks will have the ability to work within neighborhoods at the micro level, meaning street-by-street, home-by-home.”

In essence, he concluded that there will be earlier intervention in neighborhood issues, and the city will also take a proactive approach instead of waiting for things to happen; in short, residents won’t have to call multiple departments to get things done.

“You’ve got one representative with multiple solutions. They call this one person. It’s way more efficient than what citizens are having to do now, and then create a stronger bond with our services,” he said. “People will trust these individuals; they’ll know they can go to them, and they’ll know that somebody will always be there to take their call. I believe these neighborhood service officers are that solution for the city.”

Among responses from city commissioners was whether this was viable, and they mentioned prior efforts that either provided only short-term relief or didn’t succeed at all.

“I’m curious and hopeful to see how this works,” said Commissioner Leo Longworth, who cited one instance. “I remember when you did the quadrant where you were starting with, and that didn’t go as expected because there was resistance between non-compliance.”

In one neighborhood where cleanup took place, Code Enforcement went to the next neighborhood before returning and found the first neighborhood dirty again. The lack of an established presence was possibly the explanation offered.

Commissioner Trish Pfeiffer weighed in on a property owned by CSX, which she described as being a cow pasture at Parker Street, and the fact that CSX had not kept to their word regarding maintaining the property.

“I don’t think there’s cows in there right now,” said Pfeiffer. “CSX needs to take care of their property or do what they said.”

“This is a great message, and this is something that’s worthy of. We need these positive things,” said Pfeiffer. She further stated her belief that once in place, the restructuring will make a stronger impact and discourage negative conditions from returning.

Mayor Tanya Tucker summed up the conversations by indicating her support.

“I’d like to see us move to that direction if we can, because I think that also gives your officers a tool to actually get compliance, especially for the ones who just don’t want to do it.”

Proposed Positions, Funding and Costs

The three positions are:

Neighborhood Services Officer

• This person will have expertise in building and permitting-related violations. The projected start date is February 2027. It will support permit-compliance observation, unsafe-condition reporting, and field coordination with the Building Department.
• The projected start date is February 2027; the Building Fund will fund 75 percent, and work must remain consistent with allowable Building Fund uses.

Neighborhood Services Officer 2

• This person will have expertise in fats, oils, and grease. They will support neighborhood compliance and field observation affecting municipal water and wastewater operations; however, technical utility work will remain with the Utilities Department.
• The projected start date is April 2027, with funding at 75 percent, divided equally between the Water Fund and Wastewater Fund.

Neighborhood Services Officer 3

• This person will have expertise in general code enforcement. They will support general code compliance, parking enforcement, neighborhood response, downtown assignment, and citywide operational coverage.
• The projected start date is April 2027, with 50 percent of funding coming from the General Fund – Code Compliance.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are Neighborhood Services Officers in Bartow?
Neighborhood Services Officers are a new Bartow position replacing the terms code enforcement officer and investigator. Assistant City Manager Tray Towles told commissioners the role combines code compliance with relationship building, so each officer becomes a single point of contact for residents in an assigned area.

How many code enforcement officers does Bartow have right now?
Two. The city is budgeted for three full-time Code Enforcement members, but one investigator moved to the police department to attend the police academy before the third position was filled.

How many code violations are there in Bartow?
Towles said a street-by-street review of the entire city found nearly a thousand active code enforcement violations. Between Oct. 16, 2025 and Sept. 10, 2026, two Code Enforcement employees handled 789 cases, including 385 involving high grass and roughly 132 vehicle cases.

When can I apply to be a Bartow Neighborhood Services Officer?
The application process is projected to begin in mid-October 2026. Preference goes to applicants with previous law enforcement or code compliance experience and certification, but anyone without certification may apply, since the city will offer on-the-job training leading to certification.

How much will Bartow’s new Neighborhood Services Officers cost?
The three positions carry first-year costs of $36,621, $54,932 and $54,932 to the funds paying for them, at an hourly rate of $22.96. Startup equipment and operating costs are estimated at $181,100.91, including about $142,820.91 for three vehicles proposed to come from City Facilities Impact Fees.

Steve Steiner can be reached at: [email protected]

---

Sources: Sept. 15, 2026 City of Bartow City Commission Regular Meeting under City Manager Communications; Neighborhood Services Officer Update (Tray Towles, Asst. City Manager; In-person interview with Tray Towles at 2 p.m., Monday, Sept. 21.