Planning staff told the Okanogan County Planning Commission that the county is preparing a comprehensive Title 19 update that would shift many land-use and addressing enforcement mechanisms from criminal misdemeanor penalties to civil compliance procedures.

The change would remove misdemeanor and imprisonment language currently found in several code chapters and replace those remedies with a civil process that allows the planning department to enter into written agreements, set timelines, and pursue monetary fines tied to days out of compliance. Staff said the approach recognizes local prosecutor resource limits and aims to provide a practical compliance pathway rather than default criminal prosecution.

Why it matters: Staff said criminal prosecution for land-use violations rarely proceeds in a small county because prosecuting offices prioritize violent and serious crimes. Under the proposed civil regime, planning staff would have more local authority to negotiate remedies, require mitigation where appropriate, and escalate only persistent noncompliance to criminal referral.

Details discussed: Staff described draft fine ranges contained in current code language that would be transferred to the civil process: initial short periods of noncompliance carry small fines (the draft references $25 for 30–60 days and $50 for 60–90 days), with higher amounts for longer noncompliance. Staff said those numeric references are part of the current code but that the board has directed county attorneys to draft a standalone compliance chapter that will set the civil remedy framework. A commissioner asked staff to note the change when the addressing chapter is sent to public comment so residents don’t misread immediate enforcement consequences.

Process and timing: Staff said the Title 19 update is at an early draft stage and will be handled through work sessions with the Board of County Commissioners; the prosecutor’s office is expected to lead the public hearing process because the rewrite crosses multiple codes and legal areas. The commission was told the Title 19 rewrite will name the other codes it affects and be adopted separately from the addressing draft now going to public comment.

Public reaction and commission direction: Commissioners and members of the public expressed concern that converting to civil enforcement could reduce immediate deterrence for contractors or owners who bypass permitting, with one commissioner saying some contractors exploit lax enforcement because “it's easier to ask forgiveness than permission.” Staff said the civil pathway is intended to allow the county to enforce more effectively given limited prosecutorial resources, and that persistent or egregious noncompliance could still return to criminal referral.

Next steps: Staff will continue work on the Title 19 rewrite and coordinate with the county prosecutor; the commission recommended that staff clarify in public materials that the addressing draft and the civil enforcement rewrite are separate actions and to note the intended future change when posting the addressing draft for public comment.