The Pasco County Commission has approved a pilot program to more aggressively pursue the worst of the county’s code violators through the courts.
In coming months, the county attorney’s office hopes to increase the number of lawsuits filed against individuals and property owners who seem to skirt the current system of citations and fines. In cases where judges issue injunctions, repeat violations could produce contempt of court orders and jail time.
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Legal action will be taken on a case-by-case basis in partnership with county department heads and staff members who single out their worst violators. Those cases will be reviewed by the county attorney’s office and prioritized for legal action, based on specific criteria.
Factors the attorney’s office will consider include repeat offenses, danger to health and public safety, and violations of “high impact” to the community.
Marc Bellas, the county’s organizational performance management administrator, and Kristi Sims, senior assistant county attorney, presented the pilot program to county commissioners on April 25 in New Port Richey.
“Generally, enforcement is reactive,” said Bellas. “Complaints come in, and we respond. This happens day after day after day,” he said.
The current process strains the county’s manpower, and Bellas added, “The system of warnings and letters are not always a deterrent.”
Code enforcement generally operates with a cycle of investigate, issue a warning and wait for compliance. Most of the time, it works. But, some violators comply only temporarily. The case is closed, and then, months later the violation is repeated.
The pilot program aims to be a tougher, more proactive approach, Bellas said.
Departments that will work with county attorneys include the sheriff’s office, fire inspection, customer service, building inspection, stormwater management and environmental lands.
Sims described the program as “a more sophisticated, creative enforcement” approach. The volume of citations can be overwhelming, she said. “I felt like I was mowing the same weeds, over and over, instead of extracting a weed.”
At this time, no additional funds are being sought. In the future, though, the county will assess the program’s success and determine if funds need to be included in annual budgets to cover legal expenses related to investigations and filing lawsuits.
County commissioners unanimously voted for the program, but did have concerns.
Pasco County Commission Chairman Mike Moore asked that code enforcement continue to focus on major corridors, including U.S. 19, U.S. 41 and U.S. 301.
Commissioners approved a plan more than a year ago to increase code enforcement efforts along those corridors to end blight, and clean up vacant commercial properties.
Several sweeps in those areas have been conducted in the past year.
“We want to stay on task,” Moore said.
Sims said those corridors, and abandoned properties, will have a high priority.
Bellas said he is not aware of any other county in the state that has adopted a similar, proactive enforcement program.
“We’ll set the example for it,” he said.
Revised May 3, 2017
