Code enforcement cites property for trash and fence violations; council asks attorney to review ordinance

Code enforcement officer Pinkney told the council he issued corrective notices and cited a property for rubbish accumulation and a falling fence, and he asked the council to confirm enforcement authority under the town ordinance.

Pinkney summarized recent enforcement activity, saying the town issued 10 code enforcement citations totaling $8,000 and 11 corrective notices during the reporting period and that the district court awarded the town $3,500 related to citations. He described issuing two $1,000 citations today: one for excessive rubbish and another for failing to repair a fence.

During his report he read from the town ordinance language covering junkyards and dumps, stating it is unlawful “for any person…to maintain a junkyard, public dump, or lot used for deposits of litter, junk, abandoned vehicles, or equipment within 500 feet of the public streets.” The council discussed whether the Department of the Environment could assist in closing the site and asked staff to have the town attorney review the ordinance and draft a letter laying out the town’s enforcement intentions.

What the council asked staff to do: gather the last license‑renewal date for the site, forward the ordinance excerpt to the town attorney to assess legal options for closure or further enforcement action, and research whether state or county agencies would cover cleanup costs if the state intervenes.

Attribution: Statements and ordinance language in this article come from code enforcement officer Pinkney and council discussion during the meeting.