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Clallam may adopt junk-car law Tuesday

Published 6:36 am Friday, May 18, 2007

By James Casey

PORT ANGELES – Among people’s buttons that politicians may push, few are as hot as junk cars.

A public hearing on a new, stronger proposed junk car law drew three-dozen people on March 13 to testify about the problem to Clallam County commissioners.

Two two-dozen more have sent letters and e-mails.

Of those who have written their views – which is not a scientific survey – and including letters and Rants and Raves to the Peninsula Daily News – 63 people have supported the tougher law.

Only eight have opposed it.

Despite the nearly 7 to 1 approval rating for the ordinance, its critics aren’t without support.

Commissioners still were playing shade-tree mechanic with the ordinance this week, and they’ll tinker with it some more at their weekly work session on Monday.

They may adopt it in some form a day later.

Among their concerns:

  • Should junk cars on a large lot be considered as bad as abandoned vehicles on a small tract?

  • Should just one junker violate the law?

  • Exactly how beat up must a vehicle be before it’s considered junk?

    Rich Sill, the former undersheriff who now serves as county code compliance officer, said junk is junk no matter how much land surrounds it.

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