Kent city officials have not yet sent out any notices of violation of city code to group homes housing sex offenders.
Ten group home operators were notified by the city that they must shut down because they are in violation of the city code for being too close to schools, child care facilities or other sex offender homes.
City officials are working to get the operators to voluntarily comply before taking further steps.
“The city has not sent out any notices of violation yet regarding this matter,” said David Galazin, assistant city attorney, in a Wednesday email.
“We are still trying to work with several of these facilities so that we can achieve compliance without legal proceedings and the issuance of fines.”
But if operators do not comply, city officials will act.
“The city is ready to pursue further legal action against those operators who have chosen to ignore the city’s informal requests,” Galazin said.
Galazin said city staff is determining which properties voluntarily complied and which properties remain out of compliance.
“Official code enforcement actions must follow certain procedures as outlined in city code,” Galazin said.
City staff found out that many homes, initially set up to house recovering drug addicts and alcoholics, had over time transitioned to housing sex offenders. State and federal laws limit city’s regulations of the clean-and-sober homes but do not restrict locations of group homes for sex offenders.
The group home operators had until July 31 to comply with city code by having the sex offenders move out. The 10 homes have housed as many as 83 sex offenders at one time, according to city officials.
If operators don’t comply, the city will send a notice of violation which is subject to a penalty of $500 per home for each violation issued and the city can issue the violations daily. The city also can fine the property owners.
There is a 14-day window for accused violators to contest or mitigate the ticket. Operators could go before the city hearing examiner to appeal the violation and then could appeal that decision to King County Superior Court.
Eddie Weber, who operates six of the 10 homes found to be in violation of the city code, said he plans to continue to fight the city to keep his homes open for sex offenders.
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