PORT ANGELES — Clallam County’s code enforcement program is ramping up results — but new data shows the workload is growing just as fast, raising concerns the system may be nearing its limit.
A new first-quarter report shows code enforcement closed 66 cases and removed 73 junk vehicles in just three months — already pushing the county to double its yearly junk vehicle removal goal from 100 to 200.
At the same time, the total caseload is barely shrinking — with 368 active cases still on the books at the end of the quarter.
During a presentation to county commissioners, Code Enforcement and Special Projects Manager Diane Harvey said complaints are rising quickly — and already nearing last year’s total.
“And so the 74 complaints that we got in the first quarter is a lot of complaints. As of last Friday, I’ve had 96 code enforcement complaints total for the year — last year, the total was 150,” said Harvey.
Even with that pace, enforcement is making an impact — removing junk vehicles, clearing nuisance properties, and hauling away nearly 18 tons of garbage in the first quarter alone.
But Harvey warned the workload is only going to grow — especially with larger cleanup cases and continued enforcement activity.
“This is gonna snowball. This is a large, large project that we’re undertaking,” said Harvey
The report also highlights the stakes — with some properties facing steep penalties, including more than $11,000 in fines in one case and as much as $330,000 in long-standing violations in another.
County staff say even a small increase in staffing hours could help keep pace — but without it, the gap between complaints and closures could continue to widen.
Commissioners took no action on the staffing ask this week.