AGENDA #4g
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Transfer of Zoning Enforcement to the Inspections Department
DATE: February 28, 2000
The purpose of this memorandum is to recommend the transfer of the zoning enforcement function to the Inspections Department.
The attached ordinance would amend the Position Classification and Pay Plan to transfer the Zoning Enforcement Officer position from the Planning Department to the Inspections Department. The attached budget ordinance would amend the current year budget to transfer funding for the position from the Planning Department to the Inspections Department for the remainder of the current budget year.
The Zoning Enforcement Officer position was created to bring together the tasks associated with enforcing zoning regulations. The position was initially funded in the 1997-98 budget. Before the position existed, Town staff in the Planning, Inspections and Public Works Departments would respond to complaints and inquiries regarding zoning enforcement regulations. We believed that placing zoning enforcement responsibilities in one department, Planning, would improve our ability to focus on problem areas and respond to complaints.
During the past several months we have reviewed the overall activities of the Inspections Department in preparation to recruit a new Director of Inspections. As a result of discussions with both the Inspections and Planning Directors, we determined that the zoning enforcement function would be enhanced by placement in the Inspections Department. Zoning enforcement activities are closely related to the other responsibilities of the Inspections Department: enforcing the North Carolina State Building Code, the Minimum Housing Code, and certain provisions of the Town Code of Ordinances.
The Zoning Enforcement Officer is responsible for enforcing zoning regulations, including: investigating complaints regarding sign, buffer and Resource Conservation District (RCD) violations; investigating occupancy complaints; conducting site visits to determine compliance with zoning regulations; and, issuing citations against property owners who fail to correct zoning violations within the time period allowed in the regulations.
We anticipate that placing zoning enforcement in the Inspections Department would result in improved capacity to investigate and enforce front-yard parking regulations, Special Use Permit violations, Zoning Compliance Permit violations, and other complaints related to development.
This transfer would result in no dollar change to the overall budget.
The staffs of the Inspections and Planning Departments would continue to work closely to coordinate zoning enforcement activities. We are discussing a protocol for managing development projects from the pre-approval to the existing development phase.
We believe that transferring the zoning enforcement function to the Inspections Department would strengthen the Town’s ability to enforce zoning regulations. We think that having both the zoning enforcement and building code enforcement functions in the same department would allow for increased coordination and continuity in the administration of the functions.
That the Council adopt the attached personnel and budget ordinances transferring the Zoning Enforcement Officer position from the Planning Department to the Inspections Department.