County Regains Ability to Ticket Litterbugs

For more than a year, Dorchester County codes enforcement officers were unable to issue uniform summons for unincorporated Dorchester County litter violators, but on Monday night, they regained that ability. 

Dorchester County Council unanimously voted Monday to amend and supplement the county's ordinances to provide for litter control.

According to Dorchester County attorney John Frampton, the county had lost the ability to issue uniform summons after codification end of 2011. Codification simplified the county's ordinances, but in the process of streamlining, removed needed language for code enforcement, according to Dorchester County Council Chairman Bill Hearn. The new amendments and added section, county code enforcement officers will regain ability to issue a uniform summons for a violation. 

According to Dorchester County Planning and Zoning Manager Alec Brebner, there are usually fewer than 10 litter violations per month that go to court.