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Council introduces ordinance to create Code Board of Appeals for non‑ICC code enforcement violations
Summary
First reading of Ordinance 2025-06 would create a municipal board to hear appeals of code enforcement violations that are not already covered by other code appeal mechanisms (fire code, ICC, or parking ticket processes). Final reading set for May 12, 2025.
The Dover City Council on first reading introduced Ordinance 2025-06 to add a Code Board of Appeals to the municipality's general provisions. The ordinance would give residents a formal appeal avenue for code enforcement violations not subject to existing appeals (for example, fire code or International Code Council (ICC) matters) and would exclude parking tickets handled through the police/court process.
Eddie Kopp, the city’s chief code enforcement officer, told the council the board would provide due process where none exists currently for some Dover code violations: "Right now, you can't appeal grass or, say, a car parked on the grass or any other miscellaneous Dover code of ordinance that we would issue. So this covers that to where everything in the city has its due process and can be appealed." The measure would not apply to violations covered by other appeal routes or to police-issued parking citations that go through court.
The ordinance constitutes a first reading and the council scheduled the final reading for May 12, 2025. Council members did not take final action at the introduction. Staff said the board is intended to standardize appeals and ensure each enforcement action has a defined process for residents to contest citations.
The council clerk read the ordinance language into the record as required by the Dover Code; further details and the final vote will be recorded at the second reading.
