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County compliance manager says many zoning violations are older 'stale' cases; hazardous items prioritized
Summary
Jefferson County’s compliance manager told commissioners that several remaining zoning violations date back to 2022 and that enforcement focuses first on hazardous right-of-way problems and unpermitted RVs; staff said new ordinances should help triage cases.
Commissioners reviewed the compliance report and asked Kevin, the county compliance manager, about outstanding zoning cases. Kevin said the list includes older items—some dating back to Oct. 22, 2022—and that many are legacy conditions such as multiple-access circular driveways installed years ago and unpermitted RV dwellings.
Kevin said staff prioritizes cases that create safety hazards, including right-of-way encroachments close to intersections. He also noted hardship cases — older residents who need extra time to clean yards — and said the county sometimes records liens where necessary.
"Most of those we're doing... the ones I'm most focused on in that category are any that present a danger or are too close to an intersection or create some other kind of a hazard," Kevin said in the meeting.
Commissioners asked staff to move resolved items off the open list rather than keep them pending, and one commissioner recommended stepping up enforcement on unpermitted RV dwellings due to septic and infrastructure concerns. Kevin said new ordinances will give staff tools to elevate priorities this winter and summer.
No new fines, timelines or enforcement orders were adopted at the meeting; the discussion was an operational update and direction to staff to continue inspections and clear resolved items once confirmed.
