Temple Terrace council advances civil-citation overhaul for repeat code violations; debate centers on grass, pools and due process

The Temple Terrace City Council on May 5 approved on first reading an ordinance that adds certain repeatable infractions to the city's civil-citation schedule and creates a new Class 4 category with a graduated fine structure.

The proposal, presented by Code Compliance Director Jack Shanks, is intended to speed enforcement for repeat problems such as yard parking, recurring overgrown lawns, commercial vehicles in residential areas and swimming-pool barrier breaches. Shanks said the aim is “behavioral correction and not punishment,” and that most first offenses will continue to receive courtesy notices before any citation is issued.

Shanks told the council the ordinance sets a first-offense fine of $250 and $500 for subsequent offenses and said staff will document violations with timestamped photos and attempt direct contact before issuing a citation. “An initial violation with few exceptions will result in a courtesy notice with a reasonable correction period,” he said.

Council members broadly supported faster tools for life-safety items such as unsecured pool barriers, but several said the list of violations that would bypass the code board and go straight to civil citations felt too broad.

“I worry about sending routine weeds-and-grass cases directly to court on first citation,” Councilmember Kravitz said, urging a tiered approach that would reserve citations for repeat offenders after a code-board opportunity. Several members pressed staff to build an internal administrative review so residents could raise disputes before a matter is forwarded to the clerk of court.

Shanks said the code office will coordinate with the clerk of court and expected a 30-day holding period before citations go to county court, and reiterated that staff intends to pursue courtesy contact, resource referrals and help for residents who face genuine hardship.

Vice Mayor and other council members asked staff to ensure consistent officer training and to preserve the code board’s role for cases that merit neighbor-judged discretion. The council voted to approve first reading and set a second reading and public hearing for June 2, 2026.

What happens next: Staff will finalize citation booklets, meet with the clerk of court to set processing steps, and draft internal policy governing when a citation may be approved and issued. The ordinance as advanced will move to second reading on June 2, at which time councilmembers may propose narrowing the list of violations that go directly to citation.