La Plata County Code Enforcement is adding a second code enforcement officer, which the department credits to a recovering economy and marijuana’s legalization.
Code enforcement, a component of the building and planning department, has contemplated a new hire for a year. A second officer’s salary was built into the 2016 budget, and advertising for the position began this week.
“The important thing to note is the economy is coming back,” county Building Director Butch Knowlton said. “We’re issuing more building permits, which means more enforcement of our rules. When the economy tanked, we saw a decline.”
Permits fell from 951 issued in 2007 to 780 in 2008 (this includes permits for single- and multi-family units, commercial and mobile home developments). That number continued on the decline through 2013, when 541 building permits were issued, until building picked up again in 2014 with 655.
Last year, there were 814 – the most since 2008. Building permits run from 70 cents to $1.40 per square foot, depending on the building’s design. From a revenue perspective, Knowlton said the department is close to being self-sustaining.
Code Enforcement Officer Marianna Spishock was hired in 1997 to investigate violations of building and planning codes. Regulation and license processing for marijuana grow operations added to the workload with the 2012 legalization.
About 10 cultivation facilities are registered in La Plata County, but inferring from the number of calls code enforcement receives from prospective growers about the permitting process, Knowlton expects a heightened interest and therefore more code enforcement calls.
Marijuana complaints, Spishock said, are usually registered by neighbors who can see or smell the plants.
The new assistant officer need not be an expert in marijuana law, but he or she will assist with enforcement of both marijuana regulations and building and planning regulations.
Spishock takes six to 10 code enforcement calls daily, and each complaint is scrutinized. Spishock conducts an investigation and compiles information for the building inspector, who then inspects the structure in question.
“I think we’re seeing an increase in calls, and a lot of that is due to the fact Realtors are doing their due diligence, checking into the permits and certificates of occupancy,” said building inspector Joe LaBonte, who has been inspecting buildings for nine years. When code enforcement’s work increases, so does his. “I think we’re finding there was a lot more not in compliance in the past.”
When violations are found, they’re reviewed by a code enforcement “team” of the planning and building directors and county attorneys. The goal is to avoid court and bring the violator into compliance; the department averages one court case annually.
The department is now looking into a complaint about a house built without a permit, which Knowlton said has happened before. In that situation, the builders and property owners must prove the house adheres to codes.
“It’s not always complaints so much as inquiries,” Spishock said. Those inquiries often come from potential homebuyers and real estate agents questioning a property. Common violations are illegal additions or homes converted to duplexes, unpermitted barns and finished basement space with no means of escaping a fire.
“This time of year, it’s a lot quieter,” Spishock said. “When the weather gets warmer and the snowbirds come back, that changes.”
jpace@durangoherald.com
Job opening
Applicants can apply for the La Plata County code compliance assistant position until 5 p.m. Feb. 29 at www.co.laplata.co.us/jobs or at the computer kiosk located in the building at 1060 Main Ave. The starting salary is $18 hourly. An ideal candidate has an institutional knowledge of the county, development and building codes.
