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Select Board tightens wording, penalty timing in proposed junkyard ordinance
Summary
The Woodstock Select Board reviewed edits to a proposed junkyard ordinance, removing references to out-of-state inspections, striking ‘commercial’ from property descriptions, and clarifying that civil penalties of up to $50 per day begin on the date the notice of violation is mailed.
Chair (S1) opened review of the junkyard ordinance and the board agreed to several text edits to make enforcement clearer and less confusing for property owners.
S4 urged removing language requiring New Hampshire inspections from section 3 and suggested striking the word “commercial” from section 5(b) so residents do not assume buying-and-selling is required. S4 also flagged duplicated numbering and asked staff to remove the repeated subsection. "Civil penalties of up to $50 per day may be assessed for each day the violation continues beginning on the day the notice of violation is mailed," S4 said, recommending a single consolidated sentence to avoid contradictory penalty triggers.
Board members discussed enforcement timing given winter conditions and suggested outreach to property owners before spring enforcement. S5 recommended notifying identified properties that enforcement would begin after snow melt to give owners time to comply.
The board also confirmed that appeals and escalation of enforcement could be routed to the appropriate court venue; members cited Grafton County Superior Court as the likely escalation point for formal enforcement actions. The Select Board asked staff to update the draft ordinance to incorporate the clarified penalty language, remove the inspection reference, and correct numbering errors before returning with a revised warrant article.
The board did not take a formal vote on the ordinance during this session; members agreed to continue refinement and to coordinate enforcement timing with seasonal conditions.
