Tensions were high amid discussion of code enforcement and the codes themselves in town, as members of the Toledo City Council met Monday, Oct. 20, for their second regular meeting of the month.
During the meeting, councilors also approved the construction of a walk-up service window at Toledo City Hall, along with granting the city’s mayor the authority to close Kemp Olson Memorial Park and RV Campground.
As Toledo City Hall occasionally operates with only one employee, a walk-up service window will allow city staff to remain secure while still providing accessible and efficient in-person services to residents during those times.
Authority to close Kemp Olson Park was approved to avoid safety concerns stemming from adverse weather events, or end of the park season for the first freeze of winter or the start of storm season, according to the council’s agenda report.
Additionally, councilors renewed the municipal court contract for Allen Unzelman — of the local law firm Vander Stoep, Blinks, Jones & Unzelman — through Dec. 31, 2029.
Per the contract, Unzelman will be paid $1,400 a month and is expected to perform required judicial services for the city for an estimated 10 to 15 hours a month. Unzelman serves as municipal court judge in other Lewis County municipalities including Chehalis, and also represents The Chronicle.
Prior to councilors getting into the meeting’s main agenda items, which included a written proposal from Councilor Eric Hayes to discuss the possibility of amending Toledo’s complaint-based code enforcement policy, Councilor Jamie Scalise brought up code enforcement at the beginning of the meeting during her council report.
This debate came as city staff and councilors at one of Toledo’s neighboring municipalities, the City of Vader, are currently considering contracting with a third-party agency like 4LEAF, Inc., for code enforcement services, as previously reported by The Chronicle. Vader city staff have had issues with enforcement in the past, and some find it uncomfortable as they are often dealing with their neighbors in the small South Lewis County community.
During the council’s first regular meeting earlier this month on Oct. 6, code enforcement was briefly brought up following two Toledo residents who spoke during the council’s first regular meeting this month after they received letters from the city informing them to correct code violations — unmowed grass and a trailer in front of a property.
Scalise herself recently received a letter from the city informing her of a code violation on her property.
“In order to make a point, I’m going to tell you some stuff that’s really none of your business,” Scalise said. “I get up every day and most of the time my back hurts. My knees always hurt. My ankles always hurt. And taking the garbage out, I’m out of breath. So it’s not like I’m physically able to get out there and just nail it. Also, my sole income is social security.”
In order to correct the code violation, Scalise stated she paid landscapers $700 for approximately half-a-day’s worth of work.
“I can’t afford $700 every time a letter comes out,” she said.
Scalise added when the council initially adopted its complaint-based code enforcement policy, residents were concerned they might be singled out, and stated since July 1, 43 code violation letters had been sent out including 31 issued in September all stemming from complaints originating from city staff themselves.
“The gentleman who stood up here last meeting and said, ‘I just want you to leave me alone,’ I’m right with him. I want you to just leave me alone,” said Scalise.
According to Toledo City Clerk Treasurer Rachel Campbell, city staff were required to send code enforcement letters to avoid the appearance of selectively enforcing code.
“When we get a complaint, our first step is, we’re not just going to go off the complaint. I send Sarah out there to look at it. And if she’s going to look at a complaint about a trailer that doesn’t have tags that’s in a right-of-way, guess what, ‘Sarah, if you see any other trailer that doesn’t have tags that’s in a right-of-way, you better write it down and you better send them a letter,’” Campbell said. “Because if one person’s gotta follow (code), everybody has to follow it.”
Along with Scalise’s comments, Hayes stated city staff had seen a rise in “complaints coming from people who aren’t affected by the situation and have no relationship to the neighborhood or property in question,” in his written proposal.
“While our complaint process should and must remain open to all, the city must also recognize the impact of complaints that are rooted in ideology, resentment, or personal agendas rather than actual community harm. These types of complaints, even when technically valid, can disproportionately strain staff, divert resources from higher-priority issues, and contribute to the perception of selective enforcement; especially when enforcement decisions appear to be driven more by who complains than by what’s actually occurring,” Hayes wrote.
“This is not actually something to vote on, this is more just the beginnings of ‘let’s start the (amendment) process,’” Hayes added during the meeting.
Toledo Mayor Cherie Devore stated she wanted to hold a public workshop session to talk about possible amendments to the complaint-based code enforcement policy, but did not know when exactly councilors would have time for that workshop amidst the middle of drafting the city’s 2026 budget.
Campbell also wanted a workshop on this issue, as she and her fellow city staff are the ones currently tasked with code compliance and mailing the letters. However, she was concerned about some of the proposed amendments from Hayes as to who should be allowed to submit a complaint.
“I think that’s a very slippery slope, and I understand where you’re coming from, but the girls and I need clear guidance. It’s either right or it’s wrong,” Campbell said. “If you guys want to change the code, I think that’s one thing, but I think making stipulations on who it’s affecting is very dangerous. Because you’re leaving us open to someone saying we’re playing favorites. Even if we’re not, we can be accused of it … If people are concerned that it's turning into an HOA, I think the codes need to be re-evaluated, and not who can make the complaints.”
She stressed the need for clearly defined rules when it comes to code enforcement, along with a possible workshop on the city codes themselves pertaining to property appearance.
During the meeting, Hayes also clashed with a meeting attendee, Kyle Wheeler, who he alleged was targeting himself and another Toledo resident with code complaints revolving around trucks they owned parked in city right-of-ways.
Hayes questioned whether Wheeler’s complaints should be considered as Wheeler lives outside of city limits.
While not a resident within city limits, Wheeler does reside just south of Toledo. Wheeler also argued he still owns and operates the Toledo Cheese Depot just around the corner from city hall, thus contributing business taxes to the city. He in turn accused Hayes of targeting him by calling him out during the meeting.
“I checked the list just now while we were waiting, you have submitted more complaints than me this year,” Wheeler said. “… You are sitting on that side of the desk trying to call me out, and if you want to address this with me then we can have this conversation, Eric.”
While the two continued going back and forth, Campbell stated their debate was a perfect example of why both the codes themselves and policies for complaint-based code enforcement needed to be amended.
“Can I remind everybody that this code was a problem when we passed it? I told you it was going to be a problem. The wording is too vague. Everybody’s yard is different. So if you’re going to have one cookie-cutter definition of a yard, then you’ve got a problem,” Scalise added.
Devore concurred with Campbell’s suggestion of amending both city code and how code compliance is enforced, and stated a workshop to discuss and draft the amendments will be held after the budget drafting process.
Campbell also invited any residents who receive code compliance enforcement letters and are in a position like Scalise where they are physically incapable of carrying out the work to get into compliance to reach out to city hall for help.
“Reach out, because the city is willing to help. I know I’ve got a 17-year-old kid that will come out and help. Sarah’s got kids that will come out and help,” Campbell said.
Devore also suggested possibly coordinating with Toledo High School to allow seniors needing volunteer hours to graduate to help residents out with needed yardwork.
