Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Code Enforcement topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Fannin County discusses citing ordinance violators to streamline enforcement
Summary
Commissioners reviewed a resolution authorizing citation-based enforcement of county ordinances, a change staff and the county’s code enforcement officer said would shorten a multi-step process; the board discussed limits tied to state code and implications for animal-control enforcement.
Fannin County commissioners reviewed a draft resolution to allow county code-enforcement officers to issue citations for violations of local ordinances rather than using a multi-step summons process.
The proposal, introduced by the chair, cites state authority for administrative enforcement and references Georgia Code provisions governing misdemeanor citations. The chair said the change would “authorize to issue citations for violations of those county ordinances,” and would apply countywide if the governing body adopts the resolution as written (reading summarized by the chair).
Why it matters: commissioners and staff said citation authority would streamline enforcement and reduce duplicative hearings. Casey, the county’s code enforcement officer, said, “I think if it’s done this way, then we can issue the citations. Because right now, I issue a summons. We go to a probable-cause hearing. After that hearing, we go to another hearing.” Casey argued that citations would remove an extra step and free sheriff’s office resources to focus on other duties.
During the discussion staff and commissioners clarified how the process would work in practice. One staff member summarized the magistrate-court process and the sequence from citation to magistrate appearance: a citation would require a person to appear before magistrate (Judge Jones was referenced as the court official who would hear such cases). A staff speaker cited the statutory maximums that the county must follow, saying the fine “cannot be any more than $1,000 per day and not to exceed incarceration for more than 6 months,” reflecting the statutory limits discussed in the session.
Board members also asked how the change would affect animal-control enforcement and whether certified animal-control officers could issue citations; staff confirmed certified officers could write citations under the proposed process. Commissioners emphasized they prefer compliance over fines and discussed nonpunitive community resources — one staff member described a local assistance effort called “Fences for Fido” used in some animal-control cases to help owners secure dogs rather than pursue fines.
No final vote on the resolution is recorded in the portion of the transcript reviewed; commissioners had an extended discussion and described next steps and implications for implementing the citation process if and when the board adopts the resolution.
The board moved on to other agenda items after the discussion. If the board adopts the resolution in a later action, county staff said they will provide implementation details and training for enforcement officers.
