ASOTIN — Asotin County officials are hoping to put more teeth in code enforcement with a possible overhaul of the fine structure.

At Monday’s commission meeting, the county’s part-time code enforcement officer, Ed Holbert, said he’s been making weekly stops where violations have been reported and is now looking at next steps when no progress has been made.

Officials said they’d prefer not to resort to abatement, which can be a costly endeavor for the county. An Anatone-area property that had to be cleared of old trailers several years ago wound up costing about $50,000.

Criminal charges for code violations would likely require trials with public defenders, which are in short supply in Asotin County, officials said. Instead, fines for repeated violations may be increased.

“If we tighten up the penalties, I think we can make some progress,” Commissioner Brian Shinn said.

A committee made up of a prosecutor, law enforcement and other officials is being formed to work on the issue, Commissioner Chris Seubert said. The goal is to get the attention of offenders so they will take action to correct problems on their properties.

Holbert, who has been on the job since August, has been investigating a variety of complaints in the unincorporated area of Asotin County, such as abandoned vehicles, barking dogs and properties with junk piles or overgrown weeds.

“A lot of the complaints are about rental properties, and the owners live out of the area,” Holbert said. “In some cases, it’s been difficult to find them and get them to respond.”

In other county business:

Shinn said a new emergency medical services district will be on the November ballot in areas outside of Clarkston and the Asotin County Fire District.

The county approved a $6,000-a-year contract with Lewiston to provide ambulance services in areas such as Anatone and Cloverland, but it’s not fair to ask taxpayers who are already paying for EMS to continue footing the bill, Shinn said. The new taxing district, which has to be voter approved, would cover the outlying areas.

Seubert said a parks and recreation advisory group is working on a proposal to build a small park near the Asotin County Library branch in the Heights. One of the funding ideas on the table is selling Headgates Park, located along Asotin Creek Road in rural Asotin County, and using the money for the new playground, he said.

“This is still in the early stages, but maybe we can get a little park in the Heights for kids to use,” Seubert said.

The commissioners said they’ve been keeping up to date on the worldwide coronavirus outbreak through the Asotin County Public Health District and the county’s emergency management director, Mark Janowski.

If necessary, the commissioners have the authority to shut down public meetings in the county, Seubert said. To date, they have not had to resort to that measure and are relying on the experts, who have advised them to “stay calm and wash your hands.”

Public Health Administrator Brady Woodbury and Janowski have been in discussions about how to prepare for possible outbreaks in this area, Shinn said.

“We are very fortunate to have Brady and Mark working on this,” Shinn said. “They both have emergency management training, and they are staying on top of it.”

Sandaine may be contacted at [email protected] or (208) 848-2264. Follow her on Twitter @newsfromkerri.