A new manager will lead the city of Meridian’s code enforcement efforts.

    Interim Community Development Director Bunky Partridge said the city has hired Hattiesburg Code Enforcement Manager Wiley Quinn as its new Code Enforcement manager.

     “He is the best fit for our organization,” Partridge said of Quinn. “He brings in a lot of knowledge about code enforcement.”

    Quinn will start on Wednesday in the newly created position. The city has not had a code enforcement manager in the past.

    Quinn and his three man-staff will operate under the umbrella of the Community Development department, but there is a possibility down the road that Code Enforcement will operate as a separate city department, Partridge said.

    With more than 3,000 vacant property in Meridian, getting a fully functioning code enforcement team in place has been the chief goal of city of Meridian Ward 5 Councilman Randy Hammon.

    “This has been my baby and this is a critical first step in making the code enforcement office into a department,” Hammon said of Quinn’s hire.

    The city recently added additional code enforcement officers.    

    “Even without a manager, we’ve still been able to enforce our codes,” Partridge said. “What this will do is put things on a shorter time limit. We will be more effective in enforcing our code ordinances.”

    Partridge said last year Meridian demolished 75 dilapidated properties. With a full staff now in place, he expects the number of demolitions will increase.

    “We will target the whole city, not just one area,” Partridge said. “We should be able to move more quickly in the neighborhoods. Downtown is another matter. We have to go through the historical society with these older buildings. It’s a more drawn out process with those.”