BELLE — Belle Marshal Jerry Coborn said on June 11 that more than 10 citations are expected to come next month and that dozens of nuisance violations remain under review as the city continues ordinance enforcement efforts throughout the community.

Coborn reported to the Belle Board of Aldermen that numerous nuisance notices have recently been issued and could result in additional citations if property owners fail to correct violations.

“As of right now, more than 10 citations for this month, but they’re actually on the July court,” Coborn said.

He added that they have distributed more than two dozen nuisance notices.

“We’ve got over 29 nuisance letters that have been handed out that come up due Friday,” Coborn said. “So if those nuisances are not taken care of, it’ll be 29 citations in as well.”

Coborn also reported ongoing business inspections within the city.

“I got eight business inspections scheduled next week, four done,” he said.

Additionally, he warned residents against driving vehicles on the city’s walking trail.

“I need to advise everybody that’s on the trail to quit driving their vehicle, because no more warnings are getting given,” he said.

Board members discussed upcoming enforcement of the city’s high grass ordinance. Coborn said he would start issuing tickets after Friday.

The discussion later turned to nuisance properties that have generated citizen complaints. Coborn said he continues to receive complaints regarding a property owned by Linda Plummer.

“There’s a lot of complaints about that property looking bad,” he said.

He intends to continue efforts to contact the property owner regarding its condition.

During the discussion, Alderman Steve Vogt questioned whether additional citations were being issued by other officers.

“I’ve only got four citations on there now in the office, so we’ll be having our officer meeting hopefully soon,” Coborn said.

Vogt encouraged a more proactive approach to enforcement.

“We need to be out and not sitting in the office,” Vogt said.

A significant portion of the discussion focused on complaints involving animals and enforcement of the city’s pit bull ordinance.

Mayor James (Pudd) Mitchell said city officials have recently received multiple complaints about pit bulls being brought into the city despite existing restrictions.

“I’m getting a lot of complaints,” Mitchell said. “There are new pit bulls coming into town, and there is not to be any…in town.”

Mitchell described a complaint from an elderly resident who expressed concerns about an allegedly aggressive dog living nearby.

“She’s an elderly lady,” Mitchell said. “There’s one in her apartment, and she said it’s very aggressive. She says if it gets out and she happens to be in the yard, she’ll never make it back to the house before it would get her.”

Mitchell said another complaint involved a dog owner who reportedly warned neighbors about the animal’s behavior.

“The people that own it went to her and said, ‘Hey, we need to coordinate when your dog’s out and ours is out because ours is very aggressive,’” Mitchell said.

“If that’s the case, and it’s a new dog in town, it should not be allowed,” Coborn added.

Mitchell reminded the board that the city’s ordinance requires pit bull owners to maintain liability insurance.

“It’s in our ordinance that they have to have a million dollars worth of insurance,” Mitchell said. “If they don’t have the insurance, then they need to get the dogs out of town, or we need to confiscate.”

Coborn said that enforcement actions involving animals often require coordination with the prosecuting attorney’s office.

“I still have to have the approval from the prosecutor going in,” he said.

During public comments, a resident asked how the city verifies compliance with the ordinance’s insurance requirements.

Charro Reasor, city treasurer-office manager, explained that owners seeking to legally keep a pit bull in Belle must register the animal with the city, provide proof of insurance and allow the city to maintain identifying records.

“When they license a pit bull with the city, we are named on their insurance policy, and we get an email if that policy is canceled,” Reasor said.

She said city officials also maintain photographs of registered animals for identification purposes.

“Jerry takes side and facial pictures, and those are kept on record, so that we know which dogs are legally, you know, allowed to be in the city,” Reasor said.

Reasor then said that no pit bulls are currently registered with the city.

“Currently we have zero legal pit bulls registered with the city of Belle,” she said.