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4 <br />2.. <br />STANDARDS FOR POSTPONING AND RESCINDING <br />MAKING DEMAND FOR PAYMENT OF CIVIL PENALTIES <br />FOR CONTINUING ZONING VIOLATIONS <br />Introduction <br />To be noted when assessing and making demand for payment of civil <br />penalties is a stated premiss of Chairperson Moses Carey which <br />has been echoed by others on the Board of County Commissioners. <br />'our purpose in assessing and making demand for payment <br />of civil penalties for zoning violations is not to <br />generate revenue for the county; it is to prompt <br />property owners to correct those violations.' <br />For the purposes of presenting recommended standards, a brief <br />explanation of the four general stages of zoning enforcement fol- <br />lows. Please note that the responsibilities assigned by the zoning <br />ordinance to the Board lie mainly in stage Three. <br />Stage one. Complaints of alleged violations are received by <br />the Planning and Inspections Department. Premises <br />are inspected, and owners whose properties are not <br />in compliance with zoning provisions are contacted <br />by telephone and certified letters. If after 2 -3 <br />weeks violations remain uncorrected, second certi- <br />fied letters are sent. <br />Stage Two. If violations continue after 2 -3 more weeks, third <br />letters containing explanations of civil penalties <br />are sent with deadlines to correct violations usu- <br />ally ranging from 2 -4 weeks hence. If corrections <br />are not made on or before set deadlines, owners are <br />assessed $100 per day until corrections are made. <br />Stage Three. If violations continue as owners are being as- <br />sessed $100 per day, the Administration recommends <br />to the Board of County Commissioners (normally <br />after 5- 7'weeks) that it make demands for payments <br />of civil penalties. If the Board makes demands, <br />payments are due within 30 days. If the Board de- <br />lays making demands, it can provide extensions if <br />it wishes (typically in 30 -day increments) based on <br />standards given on the following page. <br />Stage Four. If payments of cavil penalties are not received <br />within 30 days after demands are made by the Board, <br />cases are assigned to the County Attorney to take <br />civil action in the courts. <br />