Code enforcement, or the lack of it, took center stage when county elected officials came to the Point for the Point Roberts Registered Voters Association's annual general meeting.
"If you can't enforce them, quit making regulations," said association founder Ruby White at the April 7 meeting, attended by county executive Jack Louws and county councilmembers Barbara Brenner and Rud Browne.
"When it was enforced, it worked," she said, but as enforcement slacked off the problem has crept back. "If two or three people get busted, word gets out," she said, but word also gets out if people can get away with it.
Arthur Reber brought up several commercial properties that had complaints filed against them for unpermitted development or changes to signage over a year ago. "They just went ahead and did it," he said, and there has been no resolution of the violations.
Brenner also wanted to see the county get more aggressive in enforcing the rules, putting liens on properties whose owners ignore fines and requests to correct the problem. "If every fine you give out is uncollectable there's zero incentive to pay it!" she said.
Several audience members wanted to see the county parks department invest more on the Point, from reopening the Cedar Point trail at Lily Point to improvements at Lighthouse Marine Park, including the proposal to build a lighthouse there, already supported by a local gift of $500,000.