Dear Friends in Washoe County District 1:
On October 27, the Washoe County Board of County Commissioners reviewed a county-wide Nuisance Ordinance. Due to the high level of public interest, I'm dedicating my monthly commissioner update to this topic.
This proposed ordinance would amend Washoe County Code, Chapter 50 by regulating 'community nuisances' in order to protect our neighborhoods by focusing on the health, safety and welfare of our residents. An example of regulated activities in the new ordinance includes operation of off-road vehicles and storage of junk cars. Over the last few months I have developed a deep appreciation for a wide variety of citizen concerns as well as the legal issues with constitutional ramifications associated with the Nuisance Ordinance.
I want to highlight the language within Chapter 8 of the ordinance which created the opportunity for future area-specific nuisance modifiers.
Part of the modifier section applied only to the area of Washoe county lying within the Tahoe Basin. After listening to numerous statements for support or opposition, having discussions with legal counsel and planning staff and the public comments made at the hearing, I determined that it was in all of our best interests for the Nuisance Ordinance to pertain to all residents in Washoe County equally. At the October 27, Board of County Commissioners meeting, Chapter 8 of the proposed nuisance ordinance was removed with my support.
This may be a disappointment to the Lake Tahoe Working Group. This group of citizens has been working diligently to identify potential community nuisances that pertain to their area. While I believe that the nuisance ordinance is not an appropriate venue to pursue regulations that pertain to only one community, I feel a more appropriate and defensible vehicle exists in the form of local area and community plans.
And, the timing could not be more perfect.
Very broad-based local support for specific regulations in an updated local area and community plans could achieve the results the nuisance committee is pursuing. An update of the Incline Village and Crystal Bay community and area plans is tentatively scheduled to begin in the spring of 2010. The first in a series of community meetings on these plans was hosted by Incline Village resident Guy Burge on October 26. Completing updates of plans generally takes 18-24 months. This coincides with the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency's goal to finish their regional plan update within the next two years. I will support modifications to the plans that are broadly supported in their respective communities.
Citizen response and participation in the process is crucial to our success. I appreciate the dedication and energy Washoe County residents have committed to this process. At the October 27 meeting the Commission directed staff to further revise the ordinance for reconsideration on December 8. The updated ordinance will be posted online at www.washoecounty.us/nuisances about the first of December.
Please feel free to contact me regarding this and other issues pertaining to Washoe County. If you prefer a face to face meeting, please feel free to join me at my regularly scheduled Tahoe Commissioner Conversation or call me to arrange a time. The Commissioner Conversation event is held at 5:00 PM just prior to citizen advisory board meetings in Incline Village (fourth Monday of the month).
Very Sincerely,
John Breternitz
Washoe County Commissioner
District 1
Office: 775-328-6110
E-mail: jbreternitz@washoecounty.us
Direct Link to District Webpage:
http://www.washoecounty.us/bcc/district.html~choice=district&district=1&color=blue&text_version=.
