A new report on proposed changes to Snohomish County’s code enforcement rules paints a doom-and-gloom picture of what will happen if the changes are adopted.
Last year, a committee of experts from the development and real estate industries came up with revisions to the code enforcement rules, the regulations that cover people caught developing without permits.
A county staff review of the suggested changes, however, indicates the revisions could cripple the county’s code enforcement efforts. The changes would make it harder for the county to investigate violators, increase the cost of code enforcement cases and make it tougher for the county to win cases it does pursue.
Among the major policy shifts was changing the standard of proof for people caught developing without permits. That would switch from a “preponderance of evidence” to “beyond a reasonable doubt.”
The report says the new standard is the toughest standard of proof and would raise the level of evidence for code enforcement efforts to the kind used in criminal cases.
Snohomish County officials reviewing that proposed change could find no other counties that are using the “beyond a reasonable doubt” standard.
The fear is that by giving greater protections to violators, it would in effect reward them for not following the rules.
And with the county bogged down in fewer and more costly cases, it would be less able to enforce its development regulations. Others might be inspired to ignore the county’s development rules, while those who did bother to get permits would be punished for following the rules.
Councilman John Koster said he didn’t think the changes would hamstring the county’s code enforcement efforts.
“I’m not convinced at this point that it’s going to inhibit” code enforcement, Koster said.
Still, there needs to be an open discussion of the changes, Koster said, adding that code enforcement will become an even bigger issue as the county continues to grow.
Mr. Community: The County Council passed a resolution this week honoring Jim Bloss of Monroe, president of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill of Snohomish County.
Bloss was recognized for his work on behalf of Catholic Community Services, as well as his activism on Valley General Hospital bond issues, the Sky Valley Senior Task Force, the Sky Valley Homeless Task Force and the Sky Valley Food Bank. His other efforts include adopt-a-highway cleanups and Memorial Day services in Monroe.
Fine no rhyme: With April being National Poetry Month, a portion of this month’s newsletter for county employees was devoted to staff-written haiku poems. Chris Taylor, a Superior Court administrative assistant, offered this:
Office space bad smell
Microwave popcorn burnt black
Co-worker banished
Claim of the week: A Mountlake Terrace woman wants $500,000 from the county after spending two days in the county jail for driving under the influence and first-degree negligent driving. However, she claimed she wasn’t correctly given her medications during her stay. The woman said her incarceration has increased her depression and left her with post traumatic stress disorder, nightmares and personality changes.
Coming up: The county parks department will have a free fishing event for kids ages 5 to 14 at Twin Lakes County Park on Saturday, April 23. Volunteer fishing guides will be there to give tips.
Reporter Brian Kelly covers county government for the Herald. He can be reached at 425-339-3422; or kelly@heraldnet.com.
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