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Council committee advances universal‑design revisions, discusses waiver fees and criminal‑penalty amendment
Summary
Committee considered CB‑85 to revise universal‑design rules for new housing, add fee‑based waiver processing, and added a proposed criminal‑penalty amendment for corporate owners; staff said waiver fees are set at $245 per unit in the current draft.
Staff presented CB‑85, a bill to revise the county’s universal‑design for housing rules: it would add or revise certain definitions, create a waiver process (with an application/waiver checklist), permit some waivers by the DPIE director, and impose administrative fees for processing waiver requests. Staff said a draft fee level in the backup is $245 per unit for waiver requests.
Kathy Canning described a proposed Draft 2 amendment that would add criminal penalties for owners or corporate representatives who violate the universal‑design law — an effort, she said, to "send a strong message" that compliance is mandatory.
Laurie Paris, representing the work group, explained that the waiver checklist is not codified and can be revised administratively, and that staff is working on an online application process to improve efficiency. Office of Law reviewed the bill and found it in proper form; the county executive’s office asked for a favorable recommendation. The committee moved favorably on CB‑85 as amended in committee.
Committee members discussed ensuring that fee levels encourage compliance without being punitive; the chair emphasized a desire to encourage compliance through alternative measures in addition to fees.
