Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Wilsonville staff propose streamlined code‑enforcement process, graduated fines and voluntary compliance agreements
Summary
City attorney and legal staff proposed consolidating code‑enforcement processes scattered through the municipal code, introducing graduated fines, codifying voluntary compliance agreements with clear timelines and appeal opportunities, and bringing draft code language to council for review in early 2026.
City attorney Amanda Gail Hinman and Hannah Young (legal) presented a public safety project update focused on reorganizing and updating Wilsonville’s code enforcement provisions. The review found enforcement provisions spread across multiple chapters and recommended clarifying Chapter 1 (sections 1.011 and 1.012), adopting a graduated fine schedule for infractions, codifying the voluntary compliance agreement (VCA) process (including clear response timelines and appeal rights), and clarifying the chain of enforcement authority.
Staff emphasized the goal of a consistent, streamlined approach while retaining specific processes where state or other requirements apply (for example, industrial pretreatment enforcement must comply with DEQ). The proposed changes aim to give staff more discretion to apply fines proportionally (rather than a single $500 maximum fine on first violation with immediate misdemeanor referral) and to allow some enforcement responsibilities to be set by resolution to ease future administrative changes.
Council asked several clarifying questions. Staff confirmed Wilsonville does not handle misdemeanors internally; criminal matters remain with the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office and the district attorney. The timeline for draft code language was described as early 2026, with planning commission review required for chapters where that body has authority (for example, Chapter 4). Staff said the enforcement roles would remain distributed across departments (building official for building code, code compliance coordinator for nuisance issues, planning for land use violations) but that the code should clearly match operational responsibilities.
Council broadly expressed support for the proposed approach and asked staff to return with draft code language and an implementation timeline.
