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Council reviews hearing-examiner, code-enforcement revisions to DMC 2.22
Summary
Staff presented a city-attorney reviewed draft of Duvall Municipal Code chapters 2.22/2.24 clarifying when infractions go to municipal court versus when property-based violations are handled by a hearing examiner; staff described inspection, notice and stop-work procedures.
On April 7 the council reviewed attorney-revised language for code-enforcement and hearing-examiner procedures in chapters 2.22 and 2.24 of the Duvall Municipal Code.
City Administrator Cynthia McNav told the council the packet contains the city-attorney review draft and that staff adopted most of the attorney's recommendations. "What you have now is a city attorney reviewed chapter 2.22 and chapter 2.24 relating to code enforcement and the hearing examiner," McNav said.
Staff explained the practical distinction in the draft: complaints that concern the underlying property (for example, a property with litter that indicates an ongoing infestation) may be escalated after inspections and compliance requests to a notice of violation and an appeal to the hearing examiner; by contrast, correctable infractions such as parking or transient noise can be issued as civil infractions that follow municipal-court procedures similar to a traffic ticket.
McNav described the typical enforcement path: investigation and an initial contact; a second inspection; if not remedied, issuance of a notice of violation that can be adjudicated by the hearing examiner. For immediate threats to life, health or safety staff said stop-work orders and immediate notices may be issued without further conversation with the property owner.
Why it matters: The revisions codify the procedural path for code enforcement and clarify appeals and penalties, including hybrid processes that use civil infractions for quickly remediable behavior and hearing-examiner review for property conditions requiring corrective actions.
Next steps: Staff said the council would consider amendments if requested and that the city attorney's edits are incorporated in the draft that will return for a subsequent council hearing.
