||| FROM BILL APPEL |||
Dear Council Members:
You made an excellent start by recently establishing a department into which environmental matters were consolidated. But this action lacks substantive effect without the following:
- Your willingness to discourage the development axiom, “Forgiveness is more attainable than permission,” with respect to environmental law violations; and
- Increased funds for the office of the Prosecuting Attorney to hire an additional lawyer to deal with environmental matters. Illegal “improvements” are installed by people who through professional competence or inheritance, can afford both construction and specialized lawyers. The county must match these resources to protect its own resources and the quality of public life for which you are largely responsible.
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Thank-you, Bill.
Only our council can change the behavior of people who build first and ask forgiveness later.
The penalties are not significant enough to discourage this destructive behavior.
The damage to our environment happens over and over.
This is also a question of fairness because, as you say,
“Illegal “improvements” are installed by people who through professional competence or inheritance, can afford both construction and specialized lawyers.”