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Council approves sending IGA draft with Cherokee County on code enforcement, contingent on written policy
Summary
Council agreed to forward a draft intergovernmental agreement with Cherokee County to provide code‑enforcement services but required the city to adopt a written internal policy (three‑letter warning process and notification before court) before the IGA fully takes effect; vote recorded with majority in favor.
The Nelson City Council voted on July 13 to forward a draft intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with Cherokee County for code enforcement, with the council’s approval explicitly made contingent on the city adopting a written internal policy that spells out the complaint-handling steps and the use of the county’s enforcement authority.
Mayor (S1) said the IGA provides the county the ability to enforce ordinances when the city’s internal steps fail and that the initial term would run approximately through 2028. He told the council the draft had been revised to limit county discretion and that the administration wants complaints to come through city hall so elected officials do not handle individual disputes directly.
Several council members pressed for clarity on procedure. One council member said, “I want everything, every step of what we’re doing in writing,” noting the city’s current informal practice of sending three letters before escalating. Council members debated whether the council should be listed in the triggering language and whether the mayor should retain the ultimate decision authority for referrals to the county. The council settled on a requirement that the city adopt an explicit written internal policy (including a three‑letter warning practice and notification to council before court action) and to strike language that suggested automatic council initiation.
Motion language approved at the meeting instructed staff to send the draft to Cherokee County with council removed from the specific triggering clause, contingent on the city finalizing the internal policy. Councilmembers agreed to bring the written policy back for adoption at the next meeting; staff were directed to produce the step‑by‑step procedure and to notify the council before any third‑letter escalation to outside enforcement.
What happens next: the draft IGA will be transmitted to Cherokee County for review, and the city will write and adopt the internal complaint policy (documenting three letters and the notification process) before the IGA is enacted.
