Peggy Jones helps keep West Linn clean and safe

Everyone is aware of the dead skunk on the side of the road — drivers avert their eyes and hold their breath. But no one ever notices when or wonders how it gets removed.

Those pesky garage sale signs pop up every summer on street poles, cluttering the pristine clean lines of West Linn streets. But who removes those city violations?

The neighbor’s annoying dog that barks all day long? Who tells the owner to bring the pooch inside?

Meet Peggy Jones, the West Linn Police Department’s code enforcement officer. For the last eight years, her job has been to keep the streets and homes of West Linn in check.

From dealing with animal complaints to illegal parking, overgrown lawns and improperly posted signs, Jones covers it all. She started as a reserve in the police department for a couple of years before becoming a recruit. Then, when a position opened up in code enforcement, the job appealed to her.

Every morning when Jones comes to the police station, there is a pile of complaints and possible violations she must address — two of her biggest are parking and dog complaints.

“I have more to do in a day than I get done in a day,” Jones said. “West Linn citizens are conscious of the city they live in. A lot of these are livability issues.”

Although her job is driven mostly by complaints, Jones’ upbeat demeanor is hard to bring down. For every complaint she receives, Jones tries to work with both the person filing the complaint and the person causing the possible violation.

“Most people will work with you,” Jones said.

Jones will work with pet owners to help give options for a dog that continually escapes the yard or barks nonstop. She will give homeowners advice on how to bring the overgrown lawn under control. She will teach drivers proper places to park.

“Most things have a solution,” she said.

Jones especially enjoys working with West Linn’s elderly residents when they have concerns.

“They are just so appreciative of any help,” she said. “They know the history of the city, and it’s fascinating to listen to their stories.”

One of the biggest complaints Jones receives is the problem of dogs “dropping little fecal bombs” and pet owners not cleaning up, especially in city parks.

“It’s very disrespectful to the city and the neighbors,” Jones said. “And, unless you know the dog who did the deed, there’s nothing you can do.”

Dealing with dog doo is not Jones’ only unpleasant task. She also cleans up the dead animals along city streets. She scoops the bodies up into plastic bags and places them in a freezer at the police station for later disposal.

“It’s my least favorite part of the job,” Jones said, recalling a particular messy skunk that had been in the sun for far too long.

But perhaps the worst part is when the animal is injured badly and she needs to call in an officer to put the animal down.

“It’s sad — the little critters that have to be put down. That’s the hardest,” she said.

Jones’ job also involves some action and risk when dogs are running loose. “Some are fast,” she said. Jones always carries treats with her to try to persuade the loose dogs into the back of her vehicle or to a homeowner’s yard.

“I think the majority of dogs are friendly enough to get into the car,” she said.

Another aspect of Jones’ job is to enforce the city’s sign code. All signs must be free standing and on private property with the property owner’s approval.

“I think the majority of people are not aware of sign codes,” Jones said.

In the spring, like flowers in the garden, garage sale signs start popping up around the city and in the fall, the political signs multiply like rabbits. If the signs are posted on city property, Jones removes them and takes them to city hall where they sit for 30 days. The sign owners can come to retrieve them, but because there is a small fine, most just let them go. If there is an address on the sign, Jones will try to return it and talk with the person who posted it.

When Jones first came to West Linn, she said the hillside by 10th Street and Blankenship Road would be blanketed in political signs every fall.

“They grew like trees,” she said, saying it was not the kind of first impression the city wanted to present.

As the result of her work, signs can no longer be posted there.

All residents of West Linn should give a hearty thanks to Jones and her part in keeping the city of West Linn clean and safe for everyone.

“It’s an interesting job,” Jones said.

To ensure you are not on Jones’ list of complaints, check out the West Linn Municipal Code at westlinnoregon.gov/general/west-linn-municipal-code and the West Linn Community Development Code at westlinnoregon.gov/cdc. Chapter 52 explains the city’s sign code.