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HomeMy WebLinkAbout100222 Oversight needed to address department lack of permit enforcement_________________________________ ALERT: BE CAUTIOUS This email originated outside the organization. Do not open attachments or click on links if you are not expecting them. ________________________________ Dear Commissioners, We are asking for your help to force the Department of Community Development to do their job and measure the shoreline setback that is currently being violated at 378 S Bay Ln. Port Ludlow WA 98365. We have multiple offers to multiple DCD personnel (up to and including Director Butler) to have our surveyor on-site to review our findings and provide the evidence that the DCD issued permit is not being followed. To this date we have not been successful in getting anyone in the DCD office to agree with this simple request or had any explanation what the DCD has done to investigate our comlaint. Have you ever had a complaint about a government agency and been told the only way to address your concern is to go to that agency and ask them to investigate themselves? This is where my family is right now with regards to the Jefferson County Department of Community Development (DCD). Commissioner Brotherton has been briefed at a high level but does not understand the extent of the time, effort, and sleepless nights my family has gone through to have the Jefferson County DCD enforce their own permit that we have provided proof is being violated. We have been ignored at all levels, given excuses with no proof, and everything points to the fact that they have not done any investigation over the past 3 months and now are attempting find justification with no documentation. Brief timeline: * July 7th - we filed a complaint with the DCD that the shoreline setback was going to be violated before the foundation was set. * July 8th – we received an email that simply stated, “No code violations”. Due to the nature of the complaint, there is no possible way the county could have done any investigation into the complaint. * August 9th – We paid for a survey that discovered the foundation is 35 feet from the high-water mark instead of the permit’s requirement of 61 feet. (51-foot setback and 10-foot structure setback) * August 17th – notified all parties involved that there were “SIGNIFICANT FINDINGS” from the on-site survey completed * August 25th – Final survey given to DCD with an explanation of the violations. * Sept 13th – Received 1st communication from DCD saying they will not be looking the permit violations because the permits were approved. * Sept 29th – Escalated to a meeting with Director Butler where the only comment he had to our complaint was we had a couple of guys go out and “everything was ok”. He could not provide any further details despite multiple requests for the documentation. This is the FIRST MENTION that anyone was every on property despite 6 emails directly asking what the DCD was doing about the 35-foot setback building violation. This is in contradiction with the DCD records department who said there is no documentation that anyone was sent to “look into” the setback violation. * Sept 29th – Requested via public records any documentation involving the setback verification after Aug 25th when our survey was received. Confirmed via phone call with record management personnel that THERE IS NO SUCH DOCUMENTATION. I also asked at that time for all documentation about the two complaints we made at the DCD website to be told NO RECORDS EXIST THAT ANY INVESTIGATION WAS EVER PERFORMED. This is a fraction of the communications/documentation I have that shows attempted contact with the DCD only to be stonewalled. I personally have left over 24 voicemails with 0 call backs. Nobody from the DCD has ever provided any information about what was done over the past 3 months. It’s my belief that the DCD is now trying to pass a foundation inspection as proof that they “looked into” our complaint. We know there was never a measurement taken by the DCD for the following 3 reasons: 1. The first response did not allow time for any investigation. 2. To get to the shoreline, the only access is through our property and the “couple of guys” never came our property. 3. If you measure 61-feet from the foundation you will be standing knee deep in Puget Sound. The obvious nature of our complaint only adds to our frustration with the DCD’s inaction and attempted cover-up. We are still requesting DCD personnel (and any Jefferson County Commissioner personnel that is willing and able) to come on-site and verify for themselves. We currently have Thursday Oct 6th scheduled with our surveyor but are flexible for any time and date. We are looking for the DCD engagement which they refuse to give because it highlights their inaction. They have done nothing, and we are asking for your help to merely get them to SHOW UP. We are asking the Commissioner’s Board to help with this engagement. We believe our request is reasonable and beyond what should be required to get the DCD engaged in their own permit being violated. DCD’s refusal to come on-site is only adds to our belief that they have done nothing and proves we need your intervention to correct this issue. I can be reached at (360) 624-1823 and would be happy to discuss the details that have lead us to asking for your help. Thank you for your time and I eagerly await your response. Jake Opheikens 0_3A20001F