Cochise County supervisors review proposed anti‑blight ordinance that shifts appeals, expands abatement powers

At a Feb. 5 Cochise County Board of Supervisors work session in Bisbee, Development Services Director Miss McLaughlin presented a proposed Anti‑Blight Public Nuisance Abatement ordinance she said is intended to modernize enforcement tools, clarify rules and strengthen the county’s ability to recover abatement costs.

"This ordinance is intended to build on that strong foundation providing clearer authority and more efficient procedures and better tools to support staff while continuing to emphasize voluntary compliance whenever possible," McLaughlin said during the presentation.

The proposed ordinance would consolidate two existing county measures—identified in the presentation as "Ordinance 41 11" (the 2011 hazard abatement ordinance) and "Ordinance 32 0 3" (the 2003 solid‑waste/dumping ordinance)—into a single nuisance‑abatement framework for unincorporated Cochise County. Key features described by staff include defined blight and public nuisance conditions, structured timelines for notice and compliance, administrative appeal pathways, and explicit…