The Lewis County Board of Commissioners voted Monday to revise an RV ordinance adopted last week that mistakenly tied the rule to state law instead of county code, which could have resulted in stiffer penalties for violators.
Last week, commissioners unanimously approved new restrictions on RV parking and camping on county-owned land and made a violation a misdemeanor rather than a civil infraction.
When doing so, commissioners adopted an ordinance that cited the Revised Code of Washington’s penalty for a misdemeanor, which is up to 90 days in jail or a $1,000 fine, up from the maximum of 90 days in jail or a $250 fine allowed under county code.
When asked about the change in penalty following the meeting, Commissioner Sean Swope said in part, “any potential sentencing—whether it be the determination of fines, the allotment of jail time, or a combination of both—will fall under the discretion of the judge or jury, in accordance with RCW Title 9.”
Monday, though, commissioners said the change was a ”Scrivener’s error” in the new policy and approved a change that ties the policy back to county code.
Swope said the change was suggested after a constituent brought the revised penalties to the commissioner’s attention.
The restrictions on RV parking in Lewis County, which bans camping on lands “except in areas specifically designated, designed or constructed for this purpose” remain in effect.
