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Exeter council approves ordinance allowing deputy zoning inspectors to maintain enforcement
Summary
Council approved an amendment to the Exeter Code of Ordinances to authorize appointment of one or more deputy zoning inspectors, preserving enforcement authority after emergency acting-inspector provisions expire; staff and members discussed the background and next steps for appointment.
The Exeter Town Council voted to amend the town’s code to authorize the appointment of one or more deputy zoning inspectors, a change staff said is intended to preserve enforcement authority after the expiration of temporary emergency measures.
Town staff explained the change grew from an emergency acting-zoning-inspector ordinance enacted after the long-serving zoning inspector, Hal Morden, was injured and incapacitated. That emergency designation, which staff said was enacted in September and extended in October, runs for a total of 120 days and is scheduled to expire at the end of the year. "This is the last meeting before that [emergency period] is scheduled to expire," Town staff counsel said.
During a public hearing, residents asked clarifying questions about how vacancies and election outcomes affect appointments under state law and the town charter. Town counsel explained that under municipal election rules “whoever gets the most votes is declared elected” and that, depending on the office, the charter and state statute provide different appointment mechanisms for vacancies.
After hearing public comment, the council closed the hearing and voted to adopt the ordinance amending Chapter 2, Article 3, Division 6, Section 2–16 of the Exeter Code of Ordinances to authorize deputy zoning inspector appointments. The council later discussed consideration of appointing the current acting zoning inspectors as deputies and indicated that topic would be addressed as unfinished business.
