Webster County Supervisors passed final consideration Tuesday of two ordinance changes that will alter the process for dilapidated building abatements and the number of inoperable vehicles allowed on a property.

Ordinance 2020-02, concerning the abatement of dilapidated buildings deemed a nuisance, repeals Ordinance 30, provides more adequate due process and establishes a more defined progression of county steps to pursue abatement.

The new ordinance allows for abatement of overgrown weeds and vegetation over 10 inches. Planning and Zoning Commissioner Jeff Johnson previously said enforcement of that aspect of the ordinance would be focused on residential properties, not agricultural ones.

The enforcement process, a total of 10 steps between receipt of a nuisance complaint and lien enforcement, has five steps from the complaint to the order of abatement:

1. Receipt of complaint or observation by abatement officer.

2. Investigation inspection.

3. Warning or courtesy notice sent via mail.

4. Violation notice sent via certified mail.

5. Violation appeal, if requested.

6. Abatement order sent via certified mail, with copy posted on property.

7. Abatement or removal of nuisance from subject property.

8. Assessment order.

9. Assessment appeal, if needed or requested.

10. Lien enforcement, if needed.

The second ordinance, 2020-03, effectively banned all inoperable or junk vehicles on properties, with some exceptions, as it reduced the allowance from one vehicle to zero.

Exceptions are made for properties like salvage yards, wrecking yards and maintenance shops.

Johnson said that as a county ordinance, the new law applies to agricultural areas, but that the county would need to develop a plan of action on how to enforce it throughout the county.

“In terms of systematic approach, it will not impact ag areas as of yet,” he said. “We will be focusing more on residential areas (first.)”

Johnson previously said the ordinances will help accommodate a more aggressive, proactive approach to code enforcement, rather than enforcement on a complaint basis.

Both ordinances were passed unanimously.