Richey Town Council Adopts Resolutions for Enforcing Ordinances and for Re-establishing Town Judge
8/21/2023
Earlier this month, the Richey Town Council adopted resolutions (see links below) to formalize a policy for enforcing local ordinances and to re-establish the Town's judge. These resolutions are part of an overall effort to ensure that the Town’s ordinances are applied consistently and fairly through mutual cooperation between the residents and the Town—and on an informal basis—whenever possible.
Resolution #396 lays out what the Town, for the most part, has been doing for many years in terms of (1) procedures for receiving notifications about potential ordinance violations, (2) the process the Town will follow to determine if such potential violations require additional action, and (3) the steps the Town will take when notifying residents of violations and the actions needed to resolve them. These functions will be handled administratively through the Town Office.
Resolution #397 authorizes the Town to enter into an agreement with Dawson County to have the County’s Justice of the Peace (currently Stacey Nerison) serve as the Town’s judge. Having a judge is required by Montana state law. Without a judge, the Town cannot ultimately enforce its ordinances, which cover things like addressing stray cats and dogs, unmown yards and other nuisances, encroachment on others’ property, and dilapidated structures that pose a safety hazard, just to name a few. Referring an ordinance violation to the judge is expected to be a rarity and will serve as a last resort only when all other efforts to address the violation have failed.
Please note that these resolutions pertain only to municipal ordinances. Like always, any criminal activity will be reported to and handled by the Dawson County Sheriff.
If you have any questions about these resolutions, please contact the Mayor or the Town Office.
