EARLY COUNTY CODE INFORCEMENT'S MISSION STATEMENT

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The mission of Early County Code Enforcement is to enforce the code of ordinances of the county in order to protect the health, safety and welfare of the community; and, where violations occur, to work with our citizens to achieve compliance through an efficient and fair process.

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EARLY COUNTY CODE INFORCEMENT'S GOALS

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*Maintain an attractive, safe, and healthy environment in order to provide a high quality of life for our residents and visitors; *Provide prompt, courteous and professional service to the citizens of Early County; 

*Seek voluntary compliance with the provisions of the County Code of Ordinances; and *Maintain open communications and continuing education with the community. *While these goals may sound simple, cooperation and support from businesses, property owners, and residents are necessary to make them attainable.

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WHAT CODE ENFORCEMENT DOES:

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Within Unincorporated Early County, only:  Issue permits (see colored buttons below); Investigate illegal dumping on roads & private property; Issue warnings & citations for violations of County Ordinances & for not obtaining required permits; Perform exterior electrical inspections on new electrical services, and upgrades of existing services; Perform inspections on manufactured homes being brought into the county, or relocated within the county; Tell you if your property meets the legal requirements for placement of a home (minimum acreage, road frontage, lot width, etc.); Receive mandated Timber Harvest Notifications through the Georgia Forestry Commission's Notification Portal (and enforce failure to notify); Work in conjunction with the Early County Planning Commission on ordinance proposals or modifications, and Manufactured Home Hardship Variance requests.  Administer NFIP regulations as Local Floodplain Manager for Unincorporated Early County.

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WHAT CODE ENFORCEMENT DOES NOT DO:

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ANYTHING inside the City Limits of Arlington, Blakely, Damascus, or Jakin (contact those authorities for assistance within their respective jurisdictions); Animal Control, or animal complaints (Animal cruelty and neglect are covered under Georgia State Criminal Law (OCGA), and investigated by the Early County Sheriff's Office); Settle or be involved in any property dispute; Give advice on whether a manufactured home, or piece of property is "a good investment or good purchase", or whether a property is buildable (only whether it meets the legal requirements for a permit, and if any part of a property lies within an NFIP Flood Zone); Inspect and/or condemn any existing structure, site-built home, or manufactured home, beyond the scope of what is required for the issuance of a New Permit, [which means - we will not inspect a home for mold (neither does the Health Department), or advise you on whether a structure or home is "safe" or "livable"].  Tenants please refer to the below link for the Georgia Landlord-Tenant Handbook below.

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WHEN IN DOUBT: REACH OUT, IF YOU ARE UNSURE OR NEED CLARIFICTION.