[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Directors of the Town of Manchester as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
[Adopted 1-15-2019]
Pursuant to Connecticut General Statutes §§ 8-12a and 7-152c, the Zoning Enforcement Officer is authorized to issue citations for violations of the Zoning Regulations of the Town of Manchester and any applicable approvals and conditions to the extent and in the manner provided by this article.
A. 
A citation may be issued for any violation of the Zoning Regulations of the Town of Manchester, including any applicable approvals and conditions. Each day that any violation continues shall be deemed a separate occurrence, for which a separate fine may be applied.
B. 
Prior to issuing a citation, the Zoning Enforcement Officer shall determine, in his or her judgment, if a particular violation might be effectively resolved by the issuance of a warning. Any such warning shall be put in writing, shall state the specific violation or violations and shall provide for a sufficient period of time to allow for the violation or violations to be corrected.
C. 
In the event that any violation for which a written warning has been issued and has not been corrected within the requisite time period or if the circumstances of any violation are deemed by the Zoning Enforcement Officer to be of such a nature that a written warning would result in an undue delay of compliance, then a written citation may be issued by the Zoning Enforcement Officer. Any citation shall state the specific violation or violations and give notice of a right to appeal to contest the citation, as set forth in § 325-5 herein.
D. 
A citation shall apply jointly and severally to the owner of the property in question and the person in possession and control of the property.
E. 
A citation may be served either by hand delivery or by certified mail, return receipt requested, to the person or persons named in the citation. If the person or persons named in the citation which has been sent by certified mail refuses to accept such mail, the citation may be sent by regular United States mail.
The fine for each citation shall be $150, payable to the Town of Manchester.
A person named in the citation shall be allowed a period of 30 days from the date of his or her receipt of the citation to make an uncontested payment of the fine specified in the citation. If the citation has been sent by regular mail, the day of receipt of the citation shall be deemed three business days after the day of mailing the citation.
Any person issued a citation shall be entitled to a hearing to contest the citation. In order to receive a hearing, the person named in the citation must deliver or mail a written request for a hearing to the Zoning Enforcement Officer within 30 days of his or her receipt of the citation. The request must be received by the Zoning Enforcement Officer within the thirty-day period. The procedures for hearing, disposition and enforcement shall be as it is set forth in the Connecticut General Statutes, § 7-152c, Hearing procedure for citations, as the same may be amended from time to time.
The General Manager shall appoint one or more citation hearing officers to conduct the hearings necessary pursuant to this article and consistent with Connecticut General Statutes § 7-152c(b).
The provisions of this article are in addition to, and not in lieu of, any other remedies available to the Zoning Enforcement Officer, the Planning and Zoning Commission, the Zoning Board of Appeals and the Town of Manchester, under the Zoning Regulations, the Town Code, the Connecticut General Statutes, or the common law. The issuance of citations under this article shall not preclude the exercise of such other remedies.