By Tabitha Evans Moore
Editor & Publisher
LYNCHBURG, Tenn. — Moore County’s Metro Council voted 9-3 Monday night to adopt a cease and desist mechanism, giving the county’s planning and zoning office a formal tool to stop ordinance violations before they become court cases.
Until now, Planning Administrator Christine Prydom’s office has been limited to sending notification letters when businesses or developers violate setbacks, encroach on public roads, create safety issues, or cause environmental harm. Those letters, she says, often get ignored.
The vote followed a lengthy debate over who should have authority to issue the letters and how they would be enforced. Several members raised the question of policing — noting that without a dedicated code enforcement officer, any mechanism is only as strong as the staff available to follow up.
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Metro Attorney Bill Reider drew a key distinction during the debate, noting that a well-worded notification letter already carries legal weight once a violator has been formally put on notice. A cease and desist, he explained, functions more as a final step before seeking a court injunction.
The cease and desist would also come with fines for non-compliance though council member Sunny Rae Moorehead suggest the Planning Commission look at higher fines for commercial and industrial projects.
The council agreed the formal letter still needs to be drafted and refined, and members indicated they expect to revisit the policy — including the authorization process — once language is finalized. The motion was brought by Peggy Sue Blackburn and seconded by Greg Guinn and passed on a roll call vote, with Sunny Rae Moorhead, Douglas Carson, and Shane Taylor voting against.•
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