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Code enforcement officer outlines steps, says new judge may back municipal enforcement
Summary
Eva described the city's notice-then-citation process, evidence practice (photos attached to notices) and the municipal fine schedule; she said the new presiding judge reviewed the ordinance and a first trial is set that will test judicial support.
At a Vernonia work session, the city’s code enforcement officer explained how the city implements Title 3 nuisance enforcement, emphasizing compliance rather than punishment as the primary goal.
Eva described the typical sequence: a written notice quoting the ordinance (Title 3-02) is issued, followed by a second notice if there is no compliance; only after those notices does staff pursue a citation. She said the notice includes the exact ordinance language and photos that staff will present to the judge if a case proceeds to court. “It’s the 1st notice of violation with the photos that were taken,” she said.
Eva also described the fine schedule and court discretion: the municipal ordinance sets fines at $500 per day per violation, but where a state statute applies with a lower fine the court may accept the lesser penalty. She reported meeting with the new presiding judge, who reviewed the ordinance and is scheduled to hear the city’s first trial under his oversight on the 21st; staff said they hope that judicial review will result in more consistent support for municipal enforcement.
Council members asked whether the city could shift to a citation-first model; staff said that would require amending the ordinance and emphasized the need to consider fairness, resource constraints, and the potential impact on vulnerable residents. No formal code changes were adopted during the session.
