Rawlins’ Nuisance Ordinances Get a Facelift

APRIL 21, 2025|

Photo – Rawlins City Hall – Bigfoot99 file photo

Progress on the updated Rawlins nuisance ordinance has stalled while awaiting input from stakeholders.

Last May, the Rawlins city council determined that the city’s nuisance ordinances, specifically those governing derelict and abandoned vehicles, were too difficult to enforce. The governing body asked City Attorney Pinita Maberry-Nave to rewrite the ordinances for improved clarity and easier implementation.

Since that time, Attorney Maberry-Nave has been revising the nuisance ordinances to improve the city’s ability to enforce and track violations.

Like all ordinance changes, the newly established nuisance regulations must be read three times during three separate public hearings. The Rawlins city council read and passed the amended ordinance during their March 18^th and April 1^st meetings. A third reading is required before the proposed changes go into effect.

At the April 15^th Rawlins city council meeting, Attorney Maberry-Nave explained, before the third and final reading of the ordinance, she presented the changes to the relevant department heads to ensure they were satisfied with the outcome.

During the meetings, Attorney Maberry-Nave noted that several issues with the ordinance were identified. One of the main concerns is how certain regulations will be enforced. The Rawlins city attorney also said the stakeholders helped identify clerical errors in the documents that she had missed during their development.

Councilwoman Tonya Lewman asked why the stakeholders were not involved in the initial drafting of the nuisance ordinances. Attorney Maberry-Nave clarified that they were included, but changes to the lineup of department heads resulted in different interpretations of the regulations.

Attorney Maberry-Nave said the stakeholders did not recommend any major changes. However, the changes that were made to the ordinance should be reviewed by the council. The city attorney recommended holding another public hearing specifically to discuss the updated nuisance ordinances.

The Rawlins City Council agreed to hold a special work session to review the proposed changes to the nuisance ordinance. The governing body did not set a date for the meeting.