By Sara StrongThe city of Luverne will begin citing people for ordinance violations, outside of what the Sheriff's Department does.That means the city will keep the fine revenues from violations to municipal codes such as building regulations, streets and sidewalks, parking regulations, unlawful deposit of garbage, animals and fowl, shade tree disease and prevention and open burning of leaves.The new ordinance approved Tuesday lists the standard fine for violations as $75 per offense per day plus $50 assessment costs. The City Council will review the schedule of fines annually.Although the ordinance will collect money for the city through fines, City Administrator Greg LaFond calls the revenue "inconsequential."Just being able to enforce ordinances, such as junk vehicles in yards, is a quality of life issue that the city has been unable to control until now.Current Zoning Administrator Dan Delgehausen has spent more than a year, in some cases, warning people and sending letters to try to get them to comply with city codes. Often the work produces no results, or just short-term compliance.That’s why the fines are so important, LaFond said. "If there’s not stick behind the carrot, you continue to chew on the carrot," he said.Delgehausen has worked on the administrative citation ordinance for a year and one-half. Residents call City Hall, complaining of junk vehicles; city workers have difficulty with parking violations when plowing streets in the winter. All that will be under more control with this new ordinance in place.LaFond said, "Residents will know that if there’s a problem, they have a mechanism through the city to get results."The city will have a Code Compliance Officer (Delgehausen) who will issue citations to violators.People may receive the citation in person, by certified mail, or in the case of parking, by a ticket on their vehicle.People who violate a code, such as building regulation, will be allowed time to correct the offense in most cases.If a fine is issued, people have 15 days to pay. Violators may participate in an administrative citation hearing and continue through the circuit court system if they want to appeal the fine.LaFond said, "It’s clear from my perspective, in terms of impact on the community that [the ordinance] ranks right up there as one of the most important things we’ve done since I’ve been here."Coffee with the administratorLaFond is taking his June 7 "coffee with the administrator" on the road. He will be at Glen’s Deli from 6:30 to 7:30 a.m.; at McDonald’s from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m., and at the Coffey Haus from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m.