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Sheridan code compliance officer reports more cases tied to snow and signage; city staff to explore administrative citations
Summary
Public works staff told council that code compliance handled 103 cases in 2024 and 47 so far in 2025, noted a new focus on snow removal enforcement and temporary-sign issues, and said the city will study moving some violations from criminal misdemeanors to administrative citations to speed enforcement.
The Sheridan City Council heard an update on code compliance that emphasized proactive enforcement on snow removal and temporary signage, a rise in cases tied to winter conditions and plans to consider administrative citations instead of misdemeanor charges for common violations.
Hans Mercer, public works director, and Shane Shepherdson, the city’s code compliance officer, told the council that the code compliance position (filled June 5, 2023) handled 103 cases in 2024 and 47 cases so far in 2025. Mercer said much of the 2025 caseload—about 30 cases—related to snow removal on sidewalks.
“The approach (to) compliance is obtained through education and awareness,” Mercer said, explaining the code compliance program’s focus on voluntary compliance but noting the need for code modifications to give staff more enforcement options.
Council members raised chronic problems such as long-term vehicle and trailer parking, overgrown yards and “filthy premise” properties. Shepherdson described outcomes to date as mostly voluntary compliance but said some repeat or severe violations remain open. He and Mercer told council they are drafting ordinance changes to strengthen enforcement tools for specific problems, including temporary signage.
A central policy discussion focused on whether to move common code violations out of the criminal process and into civil administrative citations. Mercer said the city’s current municipal code treats most punitive measures as misdemeanors, so even sidewalk violations can become criminal matters if not resolved. “Moving forward, we were encountering some issues with property maintenance… one thing that I do want to look at, moving forward is, looking at administrative citations rather than criminal and misdemeanor citations,” Mercer said.
Under the proposed path, administrative citations would handle lower-level violations (signage, business-related issues, sidewalks) while persistent or third-time offenders could face criminal citations. Mercer said that change would require a municipal ordinance revision and staff will research model language and return with options.
Council members also pressed on process details: whether complaints are anonymous, whether staff proactively patrol without a complaint, and how reporting parties are notified of outcomes. Shepherdson said the office currently does not accept anonymous complaints and that staff tries to follow up with reporting parties to report progress, while also acknowledging a local political culture that can discourage neighbors from filing complaints.
Ending: Mercer and Shepherdson said they will continue work on ordinance cleanups, possible administrative-citation language, and clarified neighborhood education and enforcement procedures; council voiced support for giving the code compliance office more capacity to pursue habitual violations.
