Agenda - 08-22-2005-1a - Laserfiche WebLink

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13 SAI2RIERS TO ZONING COMPLIANCE: With respect to enforcement of the Zoning Ordinance, there are certain barriers that affect the enforcement officer's ability to properly address issues within the County. These barriers aze: 1. The Complainant: For the most pazt, complaints concerning supposed violations of the Zoning Ordinance are reasonable in the eyes of those who are offended who believe immediate action to abate the problem is always warranted. It is the,job of the Zoning Enforcement Officer to determine if the complaint is valid and warrants enforcement action. During this initial phase of review, the enforcement officer must act as an impartial,judge to detemnne the extent of the problem. All citizen concerns are important and are ,judiciously reseazched before a final decision is made. During this process, the enforcement officer must educate the individual lodging the complaint on the procedures that will have to be adhered to in addressing their concern or providing them with the appropriate information explaining how the situation is not considered a violation of the Zoning Ordinance. In most cases, however, local residents are not satisfied with the answer of the enforcement officer especially when the answer is that there is no violation of the Zoning Ordinance. Incases where a local citizen is not satisfied with the decision of the enforcement officer, they continually contact staff with requests to do something, anything, to address their problem. And while staff has sympathy, and offers suggestions as to what additional action the complainant can take, it is perceived that we are uncaring or unsympathetic to the property owner's needs when we camiot take any direct action.. 2, The Process: The existing process utilized by Orange County to obtain compliance with zoning regulations is lengthy and actually slows down zoning enforcement efforts. The County uses the "customer service" approach to enforcement, which includes courtesy visits and letters, formal notification, and finally legal involvement. This process is made cleaz to citizens when they make a zoning complaint. Unfortunately, very few violations are quickly corrected once staff makes contact with the violator. A reasonable time frame for compliance must also beset for each step of the process. The best-case scenario for a wrecked motor vehicle violation, unless it is a repeat offence, where the violator has to be motivated to take action could take up to a minimum of sixty (60) to ninety (90) days, especially if the violator is one (1) who knows the procedures the County has to follow. 3. Citizen's Means: The inability of many violators to correct their violation is another barrier. Many of the citizens responsible for violations in Orange County are of very limited means and do not have the financial capacity to hire someone to correct their