Wasco County Residents sound off on Code Enforcement Revision
By Tom Peterson
Wasco County Commissioner Scott Hege
The Dalles, Ore., Feb. 26, 2024 — Wasco County Commissioners voted to delay a Code Compliance hearing until March 20 after revisions of the document were met with pushback at the Board’s Regular meeting on Feb. 21.
The vote was unanimous.
Revisions have been underway for months as the county is dealing with some specific complaints about properties in higher-density areas about code violations concerning non-running vehicles and piled-up materials. Landowner complaints about some neighbors are nearing a decade old without resolution.
They’re upset.
On Wednesday, Feb. 21., the hearing was in essence about one neighbor complaining about another’s property and the way it is being used. In a similar vein, code violations and enforcement are about promoting “public health, safety, convenience, and general welfare; to promote safety from fire and natural disaster; to assist in rendering adequate police and fire protection; to conserve, stabilize, and protect property values; to encourage the most appropriate use of land; and to preserve and enhance community livability,” according to planning staff.
County residents testified and took issue with fairness. They said the code ordinance hearing was not well advertised, and the revisions lacked detail on enforcement, and it was also confusing on whether it applied to farms or forest land.
While comments at times were pointed, they were delivered with civility and what appeared to be a good-faith effort for both sides to come to a better understanding of the issue.
One citizen from Antelope said the county had “used our tax money to create all this regulation… to pass these laws on us is to control us… beat us over the head with our own tax money.”
“…the codes are an overreach,” said Mary Beth Richmong. “They are extremely menacing to your constituents’ rights.”
Essentially, County residents were worried they were going to lose the ability to use historical uses of their property - such as farmers keeping equipment on their property that they only use once every eight years, or landholders concerned about being fined for having piles of logs, fill dirt or building materials on their property.
Chuck Ashley
The enforcement portion of the ordinance is confusing, said Chuck Ashley who asked for a townhall meeting so that people could better understand how the law would work.
He asked about grace periods and timelines once a complaint was received. He also asked that the code specify references to applicable fire code.
Bill Ketchum
“Will the County do their own enforcement or is this complaint driven,” asked Bill Ketchum.
Commissioner Scott Hege later said that zoned farm and forest property will continue to enjoy their protected uses as mandated by state planning law, and also pointed out the Oregon Right to Farm Act needed to be better referenced in the code revision.
County staff said code issues are typically in dense residential areas, such as Tygh Valley, Wamic, Pine Hollow, Seven Mile Road, and Cherry Heights.
Commissioners Steve Kramer, Phil Brady, and Hege asked County staff to work on citizen concerns about the ordinance as well as come up with a plan for providing additional education to the public about the changes.
They will be updated on the progress in March.
“That will give you guys better ability to take comments and bring a document back that is more supportable,” Hege said. “I agree with Phil. We should not make a decision today.”
To read the code revisions, click here and start on page 68.
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