By Dedra Cordle
Staff Writer
When the search for a new code enforcement officer began last month, Urbancrest Mayor Joseph Barnes Sr. said he was looking for candidates whom he felt could carry out the laws of the village with the same integrity that the late Marvin Mitchell Sr. showed throughout his 14 years of service in that capacity.
Barnes now says he believes he has found that person in Randy Bogue.
“I think Mr. Bogue will be a good code enforcement officer because of his character,” he said. “I think he is a man that will put the village and its codes first as it pertains to the development, the correction and the laws of this village.”
Barnes made his selection of Bogue public during the March 8 village council meeting. None of the council members voiced dissent for the appointment.
A native of New Jersey, Bogue spent much of his life traveling throughout the country as a member of the Air Force. Before he and his family moved to Urbancrest in 2003, he spent many years living in Dayton, which is where he first took an interest in local governance.
“I was a volunteer on the neighborhood improvement association,” he said.
Bogue said part of his duties were dealing with zoning issues and giving his assessment to the priority board, which, in turn, would give those assessments over to the city council. He said he gained intimate knowledge of Ohio codes while serving on the neighborhood improvement association.
Upon moving to Urbancrest, he was encouraged to join the village’s planning commission and has been its chairperson for the past two years.
He said some of the topics the planning commission had looked into is parking issues, traffic flow, abandoned properties and grant opportunities for the Vaughn E. Hairston YMCA.
After his appointment on March 8, Bogue said he got right to work the following day. He said he is looking forward to carrying out the duties of code enforcement officer and said he hopes he can do as good of a job as Mitchell.
“I have big shoes to fill and I hope I can do this job justice,” he said.
Bogue will continue to serve as chairperson of the planning commission.
