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County adopts code enforcement amendments to prioritize imminent threats, clarify ‘unfit’ structures and lien authority
Summary
Lewis County adopted Ordinance 13-63 to amend County Code chapter 1.2, adding enforcement priorities for imminent health and safety threats, separating unfit structures into a distinct process, and clarifying lien recording and special assessment authority for declared public nuisances.
Lewis County adopted Ordinance 13-63 on May 20 to amend chapter 1.2 of the Lewis County Code on code enforcement. Staff described changes that prioritize imminent threats, clarify how unfit structures are handled and expand lien authority when violations become public nuisances.
Mindy Brooks, director of community development, summarized the key revisions: enforcement priorities will explicitly include violations that present an imminent danger to public health and safety and impacts to critical areas such as floodplains and steep slopes; ‘‘unfit’’ structures will be treated separately for notice and appeal procedures; and the county’s lien authority was clarified to allow recording after penalties or fines remain unpaid for 90 calendar days, with the addition that liens may be recorded as a special assessment if the violation is declared a public nuisance.
Why it matters: The code changes make enforcement priorities explicit so scarce enforcement resources are focused on public‑safety and critical‑area risks, clarify procedural routes available to property owners, and add a special assessment mechanism that would allow the county to collect violations through normal taxation processes if a court declares the violation a public nuisance.
Details from staff: Brooks said a structure may be deemed unfit if built without a building permit (no verified inspections of electrical, plumbing, etc.) or if placed in a shoreline or critical area without proper geotechnical evaluation. Abatement of damaged or unmaintained structures remains governed by chapter 1.22 of the county code. Brooks said the decision to record a lien remains a court determination but that the code now specifies that a lien may be recorded after 90 calendar days of unpaid penalties; Friday’s packet addition also allowed recording as a special assessment for declared public nuisances.
Action taken: The hearing was reopened to accept staff’s additional information, no public testimony was given, and the board moved and seconded approval of Ordinance 13-63; the motion passed 2-0.
