Shelton zoning enforcement officer reports 531 COCs processed, online reporting portal planned for summer

Ron Baez, Shelton's zoning enforcement officer, presented the commission's annual enforcement report on March 11, saying staff processed 531 Certificates of Compliance (COCs) through the OpenGov portal during the reporting period — an increase of 95 from the prior report period. Baez said staff resolved 46 complaints since last March and currently have three open complaints, two of which were delayed by weather conditions.

Baez described the department's complaint workflow: initial site visits, use of orange door tags to initiate contact when owners are not present, coordination with building, engineering, police and the fire marshal as needed, and the use of photos and notes in non-public staff files. He said the commission's site-monitoring program continued with regular site visits and emphasized a more proactive approach to compliance to reduce later enforcement steps.

Baez also told the commission the city will implement an online city-reporting portal this summer to allow residents to log concerns about city buildings, parks, roadways and other community assets through OpenGov. "We anticipate that going live this summer, so that's gonna be another asset for open gov," he said.

Commissioners thanked Baez and asked clarifying questions about the categories of COCs and the difference between ground signs and business signs. Baez clarified that the 47 figure in the report referred to ground signs; he estimated total sign work across the year could reach several hundred. The commission offered no substantive follow-up actions other than to note the report and thanked Baez for the update.