Community Involvement & Programs

Saginaw Code Enforcement and Neighborhood Improvement Co-Operative (SCENIC)

The City of Saginaw has experienced a significant loss of population for many years, approximately 140,000 to 61,734, and as a result there have been a large number of abandoned homes and business properties left unattended, abandoned vehicles, and trash had accumulated throughout the community. Many businesses have operated without a business license or inspection by any code enforcement entity. Due to the easy access to these abandoned structures the arson rate has approached 31 plus percent and was growing. Easy access to these structures, minimal code enforcement efforts on all code fronts, and the outcry of the citizenry for community cleanup has resulted in the creation of the S.C.E.N.I.C. Team. S.C.E.N.I.C. is a combination of personnel from the Saginaw Fire Department, Department of Development, and Saginaw Police Department. Specific areas of the community have been designated, prioritized, and a cooperative effort among these departments has reduced the financial and workload burden on a single department, provided a broader base of expertise, created an opportunity to address code concerns over broader areas of the community, created familiarity of code requirements outside each individual discipline or specific code, whether it be Building or Fire Code or various adopted ordinance requirements. The most significant overall accomplishment has been improving appearance of the entire community, while reducing the potential for fire or other hazardous circumstance. Further it has been demonstrated how effective a focused code enforcement effort can be when departments combine in a common cause; communication among the participating departments has improved dramatically. The program has been received well and supported throughout the community.