GENERAL SERVICES

• The Law Director's office is open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, during which time numerous opinions and interpretations of city ordinances and regulatory legislation are rendered to business and professional people, realtors, state, county, and federal offices, and citizens of Lancaster.

• Local realtors and contractors also request many opinions on the subject of zoning. Approximately eighteen (18) zoning complaints from the Zoning Inspector were reviewed prior to filing.

• Civil claims were investigated and considered by the Law Director's Office and Law Committee.

• The Law Director has assisted in the coordination of the HUD, Community Development Program; and has prepared documents and given advice regarding various real estate problems.

• The Law Director's office conducted collection proceedings for the City of Lancaster when city property, i.e. fire hydrants and electrical poles, has been damaged. So far, the Law Director's office has obtained judgments or collected more than Thirty Thousand Dollars ($30,000) in an attempt to reclaim tax payers' money.

• The Law Director's office has developed a stream lined process in coordination with the Income Tax Department, resulting in over Thirty Five Thousand ($35,000) of uncollected tax  being recovered in 2002.

NEW SERVICES

• The Victim Services Coordinator handled victim notification and direct victim services to One Thousand Two Hundred Sixty Five (1,265) victims of crime from January 1, 2002 through December 31, 2002. This program has tremendously assisted victims in filing charges, preparing cases, and answering questions.

• Interns - The Law Director's office has coordinated with Capital University and initiated a clinical program for prosecutor interns to assist the judges at arraignments.