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Adams County to increase fines and expand code‑officer authority after new law; ordinance update planned
Summary
A new county enforcement authority takes effect Aug. 12; staff will seek an amended local ordinance and a new fine schedule and said civil infractions may be issued by non‑deputized code officers, reducing law enforcement costs and enabling broader code enforcement.
Adams County staff told commissioners that a state law expanding county code‑enforcement authority has passed and takes effect Aug. 12. County attorneys and operations staff briefed the board on implementation steps, changes to fines and the timeline for local ordinance updates.
Cassandra (county staff) summarized the timeline: "Legislation technically goes into effect August 12th and as of that date the minimum fine for civil lawsuits is imposed and so Cassandra and Emma from our team will start asking for that new minimum fine in our court filings and they'll start working with the court to educate them about the changes to the statute." Staff emphasized that the county will ask the board to adopt an amended fine schedule and ordinance; because ordinances require a roughly 90‑day adoption timeline, staff said they expect formal adoption around November after board consideration this summer.
Implementation changes that staff highlighted include allowing civil infractions to be issued by any code officer without sheriff deputization. Staff said this removes the need for deputization, body‑worn cameras and some law‑enforcement training requirements for those citations, which will reduce administrative burdens and allow more code officers to issue citations starting Aug. 12.
Staff asked the board to expect a forthcoming ordinance package and said communications to current violators and county residents will begin before the law takes effect to explain fines and process changes.
