County Code Enforcement Chief Andy Wingert, left, discusses code enforcement at the recent meeting of the Municipal Advisory Council. Code enforcement officer David Jorgen is to Wingert’s left. Peter Day / The Leader
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By PETER DAY
Leader Editor
LUCERNE VALLEY • Out-of-code issues such as fire abatement and illegal dumping increasingly will be dealt with by the county, according to Code Enforcement Division Chief said Andy Wingert.
“I can attest that Devereaux (County Chief Executive Officer Gregory C. Devereaux) is a strong endorser of code enforcement,” Wingert said during his recent presentation Lucerne Valley-Johnson Valley Municipal Advisory Council. “I think there's a renewed commitment to code enforcement as a program.”
But results, especially when it comes to cracking down on illegal dumping, won’t be seen overnight, he said.
“That one’s huge,” Wingert said. “That’s going to take a long time for us to get a handle on.”
No matter the issue, however, Wingert’s department will be fair in how they enforce, he said.
“We will give the property owner every opportunity to cure the problem,” he said. “We have to give them the benefit of the doubt.”
Sgt. Van Putnam, the new commander of the Lucerne Valley Sheriff Substation, said he and his deputies take illegal dumping very seriously and will assist in the crack down.
“Code Enforcement is a very strong arm for us,” Putnam said.
MAC chairman Richard Selby wanted a commitment from Wingert that the same scrutiny for garden variety code enforcement issues will be given to renewable energy projects.
“Never before has the county been faced with such issues before,” Selby said. “We’d like a definition on how code enforcement is going to enforce these projects.”
The enforcement of county code in the area of solar and wind farms is new to the department. Therefore, Wingert and his crew be developing understanding of issues.
“Code enforcement is brand new to that issue,” Wingert said about solar. “We’re having internal discussions on how to better deal with that topic.”
Chuck Bell of the Lucerne Valley Economic Development Association brought up a Newberry Springs solar project which changed along the way. Solar panels grew to heights unexpected by nearby residents.
“We don’t want that happening here,” Bell said.
Local resident Millie Rader said she believes Wingert and code enforcement officer David Jorgensen, who also spoke at the meeting, hear the concerns.
“I really feel like you guys are serious," Rader said. "I actually have a sense of hope.”
MAC member Roger Peterson, who worked with the City of Victorville code enforcement division, suggested having check list for code enforcement officers.
Selby, who urged code enforcement to “bird dog these projects,” was well aware of the daunting task that lay ahead.
"You guy's got an awesome task on your hands,” Selby said.
"Sometimes the day in code enforcement is very, very long,” Wingert said.