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Council backs active code enforcement; staff warned of possible legal costs
Summary
Following resident input at a CDBG meeting, council directed staff to pursue active enforcement of zoning, health and safety, building and neighborhood preservation codes while noting enforcement may prompt legal challenges and costs.
Town Manager Suzanne Harvey told the Council that residents raised concerns about property conditions at a recent CDBG meeting and asked whether the Town wants aggressive enforcement of existing code provisions. Harvey said staff and the Police Department are prepared to move forward but cautioned "some people may fight us on it and it may end up in court, so it may end up costing us some money." Council discussed enforcement priorities and agreed that active, equal enforcement of the Town’s code was the direction moving forward.
Council did not adopt an enforcement ordinance at the March 26 meeting; rather, members endorsed directing staff to pursue active enforcement and asked staff to be mindful of legal costs and to coordinate with the Police Department. Town Attorney Thomas Benavidez and staff agreed to support an approach that balances enforcement goals with legal risk management.
