Talking to the right person about your request can save you valuable time on resolving your matter. That is why we will illustrate the most common requests for city services and which department to contact. While we can handle most of your requests, in the event that we cannot, we strive to guide you to the resources that can. That is why we provide this segment to answer your Frequently Asked Questions (F.A.Q.'s) in a segment we like to call Your Guide to Local Government.

   City Secretary- Who’s got the power here? Apparently you do. Home rule government was established through a City Charter approved by the majority vote of the qualified voters of the City of Alton in the May 2006 election. The City Charter is to Alton like the Constitution is to the United Sates and depicts all powers of city officials and offices. This is important because citizens established the system of rule in Alton. This means voting residents can amend that system by majority vote in an election. Locally­-elected officials make local laws called “ordinances” which are viewable by contacting the City Secretary in City Hall.

   Code Enforcement- As ordinances give local guidance to how Alton should operate in a peaceful and productive manner. Local officials such as Code Enforcement assure those ordinances not requiring law enforcement are met. They enforce provisions of the ordinances where their services are applicable such as: nuisances (noisy, smelly, and unsightly households), illegal dumping and littering, peddling, zoning/sign regulations, address change (with copies of tax statement and current water bill), junked vehicles, and weedy lots. Ordinance 79-11 is one of the most important and highly used by the code enforcement official because it states that weeds, rubbish, motor vehicles, dilapidated buildings, burned hulls, or any objectionable, unsightly and unsanitary matter are considered a public nuisance. If you live next to a weedy lot or have questions concerning other public annoyances or dangers to health contact Code Enforcement.

   Public Works- Public infrastructure requires constant care and maintenance. In order to better facilitate the needs of the community, this department as been divided into three sub-departments: building maintenance, parks and recreation, and street maintenance. This department is responsible for a wide variety of municipal public works projects including: maintenance of parks, municipal buildings, alley ways, animal control, responsible for overseeing the cleaning of weedy lots, review of construction and assist with minor construction projects. This department also participates in the planning for long range public works development in conjunction with other city departments. We also provide a quick response and follow-up to complaints from the general public, such as reports of graffiti.

   Permits- If you build a driveway, fence, porch, do plumbing, electrical, storage room, remodel, build additions, patio, pool, garage, move a home, covered parking, and any foundation, you will need to request a permit from the city. Permit pricing ranges from $5.00 to $100.00, depending on the complexity (review and oversight) of the project. The City of Alton would like inform the citizens of Alton, that for their safety, it is imperative that construction on any of the afore-mentioned items you have our city inspectors review the ordinances, requirements, and your property for proper placement, specifications, and safety concerns. Please remember that the City of Alton is protecting the public from unsafe conditions when enforcing ordinances and codes. The City of Alton might also save you time and money when reviewing your project.

   Police- Whether it is a complaint about a noisy neighbor to a crime in progress, there are a few distinctions to keep in mind. When law enforcement is needed there are two different manners in which to contact the agency by telephone: 1) Emergency (911): only used when there is reason to believe someone’s life is in danger or someone’s property is in the process of being stolen or damaged; and 2) Non emergency (432-0760): to be used for complaints ranging from noisy neighbors to loose dogs or any other non life threatening incident.
The officer on the scene will make a full report and submit that to the investigators. It is important to note that the more information provided, the faster a case can be resolved. Information that should be provided to the agency include: address, name of caller, phone number from where they are calling, description of what is happening, description of any persons at the location involved in the incident, description of any vehicles involved.

   Municipal Court- Warning on failure to appear or by not paying the fine on or before your court appearance date will result in a warrant of arrest and will result in denial of your driver’s license, permit and/or vehicle registration of re-registration. The Court will issue a warrant for the arrest of any defendant who has failed to appear to answer a traffic notice. A second conviction of failure to maintain financial responsibility will result in the suspension of you driver’s license and motor vehicle registration unless you file and maintain proof of financial responsibility with the Department of Public Safety for two (2) years from the date of conviction.

   Fire- The Alton Volunteer Fire Dept. has five fire trucks and personnel on call 24 hours a day. Our personnel consist of both paid and volunteer fire fighters working around the clock to serve the City of Alton and its citizens in case of an emergency. We encourage the citizens to always call 911 in case of an emergency as well as to report illegal burning and dumping of trash to our non emergency line (956) 432-0740. In case you are the victim of a house fire the Alton Vol. Fire Dept. is committed try to get you assistance with either the Salvation Army or the Red Cross. These agencies will ask for a report on the damage on your property which we provide.

   As you can see, governance and service begins and ends with the resident. We strive to maintain the best service possible, and with frequent communication you can keep your government accountable. Our various departments are always hard at work in their respective areas, but never too busy to help you. Now that you’ve been given a glimpse of their primary roles do not hesitate to contact them directly for assistance.