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Planning and zoning staff report rising code violations, enforcement strains county resources
Summary
Dorchester County planning and zoning reported a recent uptick in valid zoning and property-maintenance complaints, unauthorized construction and long-term residential use of recreational vehicles, prompting a recommendation for better public outreach, possible temporary staffing and policy review.
Dorchester County’s director of planning and zoning told the county council on Aug. 5 there has been a “recent and noticeable uptick” in code enforcement complaints across the county, including zoning violations, property-maintenance issues, construction without permits and long-term occupants living in recreational vehicles.
The director said staff validated over 30 complaints as violations in recent months, issued more than a dozen stop-work orders for construction occurring without permits and recorded 18 violations involving people occupying recreational vehicles or campers as long-term residences. The director called attention to a recent fire to underscore life-safety concerns with prolonged RV habitation, citing improper electrical hookups, sewage disposal and ventilation as risks.
Staff recommended a three-pronged response: increased public outreach and an awareness campaign on permit and code requirements; evaluation of temporary or part-time enforcement staffing to handle the higher volume; and a policy review to determine whether code language needs clarification or stronger enforcement tools. Staff said the enforcement team processes roughly 1,000 to 1,100 permits annually and estimated they are not capturing about 500 cases where work is performed without permits.
Council members thanked staff for prompt enforcement actions in specific neighborhood cases and encouraged outreach through county social media channels. Staff identified two inspectors bearing the brunt of current caseloads and asked the council for direction if additional staffing or policy changes are desired.
Ending: Staff will continue monitoring violations, consider public-education campaigns, and return with recommendations for staffing or code amendments if needed. No ordinance changes or personnel authorizations were adopted at the Aug. 5 meeting.
