County staff outline new blight and trash enforcement tools; board seeks clarifications

County staff presented draft ordinances to strengthen blight abatement and to move existing trash-and-refuse provisions into the code‑enforcement chapter to give staff more robust tools for abatement.

The proposed blight code establishes criteria for declaring property blighted or derelict (e.g., continuous vacancy, structural collapse risk, rodent infestation, fire hazards) and sets a process: a preliminary determination, mailed and posted notice to the owner, 30 days to file a remediation plan, staff review and a recommended reasonable remediation period (staff suggested 90 days) and board authorization if the plan is unacceptable. The draft also incorporates the criminal‑blight definition from Virginia statute for repeated illegal activity on a property.

Code enforcement explained abatement steps for trash and discarded materials: inspectors notify owners by certified mail, the property owner has a 10‑day correction window for many violations, and the county may contract abatement if the owner does not comply; abatement and administrative costs can be billed to the owner. The draft includes escalating civil penalties (first violation $50; subsequent penalties increase, with caps) and notes enforcement tools for persistent or dangerous conditions. Staff said abatement operations will use on‑call contractors and that the county already enforces open-burning limits and container requirements tied to state air‑quality regions.

Board members and some supervisors asked whether agricultural or historic structures should be treated differently and urged careful, narrow language to avoid overbroad application. Staff said the ordinance is intended for serious public‑health and safety conditions rather than cosmetic issues and that the text will be refined to protect legitimate agricultural uses and allow for potential historic‑preservation considerations.