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Council flags outdated ordinances, inconsistent fines including a $2,500 litter penalty
Summary
Councilors identified multiple antiquated or inconsistent ordinances and fines — including an apparent $2,500 fine for litter in streets — and urged a comprehensive code cleanup so language and penalties align with the town's enforcement capacity.
Council members raised concerns that the town's code contains many outdated provisions and inconsistent penalties that complicate enforcement. Members said fines set decades ago no longer fit present conditions and that some high-sounding fines are difficult to enforce without clear procedural support.
"Right now, the ordinance for people blowing litter into the streets is $2,500," one councilor noted, citing the specific penalty as an example of inconsistency in the code. Members recalled earlier instances where modest fines once mattered and argued for a page-by-page review of the ordinance book to remove obsolete language and reconcile contradictions between different sections.
Staff said portions of the code date back many years and that legal counsel and a code-publishing service have previously reviewed select items; councilors urged a more comprehensive review tied to UDO work to avoid duplication and ensure enforceability.
