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Trustees discuss enforcement penalties, $500-per-day language and fee doubling for unpermitted work
Summary
Trustees reviewed newly read penalty language that allows civil fines for zoning-code violations (noting a $500 per-offense figure read during the meeting) and discussed adding fee-schedule penalties (doubling fees on first offense, higher for repeat offenses) and court collection procedures.
Trustees revisited enforcement and penalty options on Oct. 1, focusing on language included in the zoning-text amendments that would allow civil fines for violations and on how the township should handle unpermitted construction.
The read resolution text includes a provision that any person, firm or corporation violating the zoning resolution is subject to prosecution under the Ohio Revised Code and "shall be assessed a civil fine of not more than $500 for each offense"; meeting participants discussed that the code also allows recovery through civil action in the Court of Common Pleas and that each day a violation continues may constitute a separate offense.
Trustees discussed options for administrative penalties and fee-based escalations: suggestions included doubling permit fees for a first offense and increasing penalties for repeat violations, and placing language in the fee schedule to allow automatic fee doubling when work proceeds without a zoning certificate. Staff noted that civil fines require court action for collection and that the trustees could add fee schedule language without restarting the county review process for the larger code amendment; the board discussed waiting for the county review and then adopting further local fee language.
Why it matters: the township’s ability to deter unpermitted construction and collect fines depends on clear code language, administrative fee schedules, and the township’s willingness to pursue court action for collection.
Next steps: trustees asked staff to consider where to place fee escalation language (fee schedule vs. penalties article) and to return with draft language for consideration after the county review process.
