||| FROM MICHAEL DURLAND |||

SJC County Code has a procedure for appealing decisions you do not think follow County Code: 18.80.140 Appeals. At first it seems a daunting procedure but with careful reading, assistance from County employees, and some advice from one who has done it before it can be done without hiring an attorney.

I felt I had sufficient reasons and knowledge and documentation to appeal my neighbors after-the-fact building and change of use permit to change a barn into a guest house. The barn was a pole building sitting 17” from my property line in the shoreline. During my Shoreline Development Permit process in 1986 the builder of the barn admitted to County officials that he built it illegally too close to the property line. As an illegal building it could not be remodeled and could have been torn down. I agreed to let it stand as a buffer between the residential property and my proposed industrial property. The Compliance Plan the neighbors were given stated the barn had a building permit. A recent Department Head also documented before the Courts that the official position of SJC was that a building permit had been issued and the required setback was ten feet from the property line.

During my appeal I was told my boundary line moved, I was told private agreements supersede County setback regulations, I was intimidated by County attorneys, I was served two Notice Of Violations threatening fines and removal of my development permits, documents that helped my case were withheld from me and the Courts or ‘lost’, I was told I had to get a building permit for a container when no building permits were required for containers, a ‘Suggested Outline’ showed up in County files that reeks of witness tampering and attorney malfeasance, I was banned from talking to Council members. When the County realized that I would prevail if there was a building permit for the illegally built barn they argued before the Courts that there was “No evidence of a building permit…”

We need a change of leadership on the County Council. Rick Hughes has been in office throughout this appeal and he has listened to my concerns but done nothing. The County Charter states duties of the Council – “Section 2.31 – Executive Powers and Duties  (c)  Ensure that all actions of the County are compliant with all San Juan County codes, laws and procedures… “  I can cite numerous violations of the above Duties of the Council. Council actions and non actions are vigorously defended by their attorneys spending your money so it is very rare that actions like this are brought to light or that the official is charged.

Citizens must rely on the honor and trustworthiness of their elected officials. This is why this election is important. I invite Bill Watson, Jamie Stephens, and Rick Hughes to stand up to their Oath and the Charter and investigate actions of this County and to reach out to me to discuss my concerns.


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