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Town staff reports 18 code-enforcement inquiries over 30 days; 13 notices issued and two citations
Summary
Staff updated council on municipal code enforcement: of 18 potential violations investigated across noise, zoning, junk vehicles, sanitation and minimum-housing, 13 resulted in notices and two resulted in citations; staff described timelines, certified-mail procedures, and options to secure vacant unsafe structures.
Town staff provided a follow-up presentation on municipal code-enforcement activity covering the previous 30 days, reporting broad activity across nuisance and minimum-housing concerns.
Town Manager Shannon Tuck told council staff logged 18 potential violations across five categories—noise, junked vehicles, zoning, sanitation and minimum housing. Of those, 13 cases were confirmed as violations and notices were issued; two have progressed to citations so far. Many matters stemmed from resident complaints; staff also identified five cases independently during fieldwork.
On noise complaints, staff said police reports exist for three incidents (a short-term rental party, construction outside permitted hours and sporadic industrial noise); in most cases staff start with a warning and escalate to fines only if the conduct continues. For zoning complaints, staff described unpermitted structures, a mobile home and an occupied camper and said they issued notices and made contact with property owners in most cases.
For junk vehicles, staff explained enforcement requires both inoperability and lack of licensure; they issued multiple notices and have one case that moved to citation. For minimum-housing cases—several were vacant, dilapidated structures—staff said the priority is safety: notices ask owners to secure buildings or board openings, and staff will refer occupants to resources when people live in substandard structures.
Tuck explained the statutory process: initial investigations are followed by notices with hearing dates; timelines vary by case and can extend to hearings and orders that include remediation windows (statutory ranges were discussed). Staff said they try to favor compliance and will connect owners to volunteer or community resources when appropriate; Buncombe County handles building permits and inspections and can condemn unsafe structures, but staff said the county is reluctant to condemn occupied buildings for fear of leaving people without housing.
Council members asked about outreach, timelines, and whether notices clearly state subsequent enforcement stages and consequences; staff said notices identify the violation and required corrective action but do not typically spell out later-stage enforcement steps in the initial mailed notice, and that escalation is done case by case.
