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Council hears proposed stricter enforcement for certificates of occupancy and construction without permits

City of Idaho Falls City Council (work session) · May 4, 2026
AI-Generated Content: All content on this page was generated by AI to highlight key points from the meeting. For complete details and context, we recommend watching the full video. so we can fix them.

Summary

Community Development staff outlined proposed ordinance language to make occupying without a certificate of occupancy and constructing without permits enforceable with stepped penalties (infractions escalating to misdemeanor), mandatory stop-work and 7-day permit-application windows, and potential permit-fee surcharges; council sought clearer protections for unwitting lessees and consistency for appeal/refund language.

Staff from Community Development Services presented draft ordinance language aimed at strengthening enforcement when buildings are occupied without a certificate of occupancy or when construction occurs without required permits.

Chief building official Cody (introduced by staff) explained the two-part problem: properties occupied without a certificate of occupancy and construction started without a permit. The draft requires an initial "do not occupy" notice and calendar-based…

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