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Coventry council adopts ordinance clarifying who is town—s zoning enforcement officer
Summary
After a public hearing prompted by resident concerns, the Coventry Town Council adopted ordinance 2025-22 to specify which town position holds zoning-enforcement authority and allow delegation; supporters said it formalizes long-standing practice and strengthens legal standing for enforcement actions.
The Coventry Town Council voted unanimously to adopt ordinance 2025-22, a change to the town code that assigns and clarifies who serves as the town—s zoning enforcement officer and allows that official—s duties to be delegated.
The ordinance drew public comment from resident Cheryl Kane, who said the proposed language appeared to move duties from the zoning enforcer and building inspector back to the planning department. "It just looks basically what they're doing is just reverting back to what was years ago," Kane said, urging that responsibilities and qualifications be clear. Planning Director Doug McLean told the council the change does not alter day-to-day roles but formalizes responsibilities in the code so the town has legal standing in enforcement actions: "This makes it clear who does serve as the town zoning enforcement officer," he said.
Council members cited the need for clear authority if enforcement is challenged in court. Councilman Brown said the ordinance "appoints the planning director as that person to enforce it" and expressed support, arguing that formalizing authority would allow the town to hold individuals accountable.
The change was described by staff as an update to align the town code with state law and historical practice. McLean said the code previously described duties but did not assign them to a named position; the ordinance now explicitly places that authority in the code and allows delegation to on-the-ground staff who have historically performed inspections and site visits.
After closing the public hearing, council members moved to adopt the ordinance; the motion passed 5-0.
The ordinance takes effect according to the town—s normal codification process. Council members and staff said they would follow up with any administrative steps needed to implement the change, and several asked staff to coordinate an itemized briefing to ensure residents know how enforcement will be handled going forward.
