Mike Haugen receives 2021 ICC Community Service Award for promoting public health, safety and welfare

Each year, the International Code Council recognizes peers and colleagues who are a reflection of what the association stands for: dedication to developing model codes and standards used in the design, build and compliance process to construct safe, sustainable, affordable and resilient structures. The Code Council honored several outstanding individuals and organizations for their accomplishments and contributions to building safety and resiliency in their communities during the 2021 Annual Conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

The ICC Community Service Award recognizes outstanding service that promotes public health, safety and welfare. Mike Haugen, director of Code Services for the city of Topeka, Kansas, received the 2021 ICC Community Service Award during the Safety 2.0 reception on Monday, Sept. 20, 2021, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

While walking an at-risk neighborhood, Haugen saw issues that were contributing to the blight and affecting the overall health and safety of the neighborhood, which could be addressed by the city through partnering with the community to address the issues within a small manageable area and make a lasting impact. He believed that if you want people to take ownership of the problems as well as positive results, it requires a holistic partnership. Desiring to go the extra mile and institute a program that would benefit not only specific neighborhoods but the community as a whole, Haugen and his team developed a city-wide initiative: Team Up 2 Clean Up.

Developed by city staff, this effort uses specific guidelines to select neighborhoods deemed to be in need of intensive care. Team Up 2 Clean Up requires a massive team effort, including collaborative participation from neighborhood associations, residents volunteers from partnering agencies and city departments Donated services, tools and resources also come from a variety of area organizations. The initiative includes personalized classes on property maintenance, education regarding city resources, and conversations with neighbors about their issues and concerns. City departments and partners engulf a neighborhood providing assistance with code issues, safety concerns and neighborhood hazards. The overall goal after leaving the neighborhood is not only celebrating the improvements made while there but also empowering the neighborhood with the tools and resources they need to improve the overall health and safety of their area in an ongoing manner.

Most importantly Team Up 2 Clean Up allows staff, residents and community partners to come together and find opportunities to address the specific needs of a neighborhood; allowing them a voice in the process and a sense of pride in all that they have accomplished as well as the knowledge that they can make a difference. The program has been completed in six city neighborhoods so far and in a recent clean-up, city departments completed 935 services, dedicated approximately 1,563 hours of staff time and reallocated resources of over $390,000.

Haugen has been active in the Topeka community since he moved there at 18. After 30 years with the Topeka Police Department, he retired in 2014, but still wanted to have an impact on the city. He joined the Topeka Code Services department later that year where he has focused on providing exceptional customer service. “We need to treat everyone with dignity and respect,” he explained during an interview for the Topeka Capital Journal. Haugen wanted to see the property maintenance, police, fire and public works departments work together as often as possible and build an understanding of how they can help each other. “We all have our own responsibilities, but when that’s all we focus on, we’re not serving the whole community.”

The Code Council congratulates Mike Haugen as its 2021 ICC Community Service Award recipient.

View past recipients of the ICC Community Service Award.