20.10.010 Policy.
A. The policy of the City of Anacortes is to:
1. Fairly, actively, and uniformly enforce the municipal code to preserve the health, safety, and welfare of the public and the environment and not for the benefit of any particular class of persons;
2. Conduct all investigations into alleged violations consistent with statutory and constitutional protections of the right of privacy;
3. Use education as a first step toward achieving compliance with those codes and offer property owners the opportunity to correct violations before imposing fines;
4. Use administrative orders and other measures when necessary to ensure violations are corrected.
B. To achieve this policy, this Chapter provides authority and procedures for:
1. Efficient and effective notice and opportunities to correct violations;
2. Progressive monetary penalties proportionate to the violations;
3. Appeal of administrative orders regarding violations;
4. Collection of civil penalties; and
5. Abatement and remediation of violations.
C. Discretion.
1. Generally, the Director should use a graduated enforcement process that uses notification and education as a first step and should offer violators the opportunity to correct violations before imposing fines.
2. The Director may decide not to take action to correct a violation, especially for de minimis violations or violations that require interpretations or discretionary judgments of the applicability of the land use code.
D. Supremacy. In the event of a conflict between provisions of this title and other provisions in the AMC, the provisions of this title control. (Ord. 2988 § 1 (Att. A), 2016)