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Subcommittee approves civil‑fine language to allow per‑day zoning and wetlands penalties
Summary
The ordinance committee revised citation language for zoning and inland wetlands violations to expressly authorize per‑day fines (statutory maximums apply) and moved both changes to the council for public hearings.
The ordinance subcommittee approved revisions to the city’s citation sections for zoning and inland wetlands violations to expressly allow fines that accrue per day, consistent with state statute. Counsel explained the prior local language could be read to impose a single flat fine; the proposed language clarifies the municipal penalty may be assessed per day up to the statutory maximum.
For zoning violations the draft adds per‑day language to align with state authority that permits fines up to $150 per day. For inland wetlands and watercourse violations the draft clarifies a fine of $100 per day up to a $1,000 maximum per separate violation, and reorganizes a limiting sentence to be clearer at the top of the subsection. The committee also corrected a typographical error in a later subsection.
The committee voted to send both ordinance changes to the city council for public hearings. Counsel and staff noted property owners would retain procedural rights to admit liability and pay or request a hearing and appeal the hearing officer’s decision to the Superior Court.
