Scott County workshop advances plan for part-time code enforcement officer

Scott County commissioners met in a workshop to discuss creating a part-time code enforcement officer and voted in the workshop to advance the position for consideration by the county council and for inclusion in the budget process.

The commissioners framed the position as a county role that would report to the board and coordinate with the health department and building/inspection staff. The lead speaker at the workshop proposed a baseline arrangement of roughly one day per week (or an agreed monthly number of hours) to start, with the understanding the role could expand if caseload and funding required it.

Why it matters: Commissioners and staff described multiple long-running unsafe-building and nuisance cases, instances of unpermitted trailers and septic concerns, and a weak existing enforcement path that can leave neighbors waiting years for resolution. Officials said a dedicated enforcement position could centralize investigations, prepare cases for the area plan commission, and, when necessary, support court filings that allow the county to recover cleanup costs.

Health department staff supported the concept. "We've said we've needed this for years," Britney of the county health department said, adding the new officer would have to work closely with health staff on trash and wastewater complaints and would need strong people skills. Workshop participants also reviewed job descriptions and practices from nearby counties and highlighted Marie Shepard in Jennings County as a potential resource who has handled many enforcement cases.

Speakers discussed enforcement options and limits. A county building/inspection perspective noted that Indiana unsafe-building statutes and Scott County's existing ordinance (adopted in 2008) vest authority with the commissioners and that some enforcement—such as removal of unpermitted trailers—often falls to the area plan commission rather than to the health department. Several participants said a court-based path (show-cause hearings before the plan commission followed by superior-court complaints when needed) provides due process and a mechanism to place cleanup costs on the tax roll, even though it can be slower and more expensive.

Funding and timetable: Participants recommended creating a budget line for code enforcement during the county's budget process, which begins in July, and acknowledged that hiring depends on council funding; speakers estimated that the earliest realistic start would depend on the next fiscal-year funding decisions. Workshop discussion included practical hiring ideas—such as using part-time retired law-enforcement or military personnel to limit benefit costs—and suggested an initial staffing estimate of at least one to two days per week (one day in the field and at least one day for documentation).

Next steps: Workshop participants asked staff to draft a short ordinance and move the item to a public meeting; in the workshop a participant moved and a second was recorded, and those present responded affirmatively by voice vote. The commissioners directed staff to prepare ordinance language and budget request materials and to consult peer counties and experienced practitioners before the public meeting.

The workshop concluded with commissioners and staff agreeing to continue working existing cases while preparing the ordinance and budget request; a formal hiring timeline will depend on council action.