Weld County approves $17,550 assessment against Platteville property

Weld County commissioners approved certifying $17,550 in code-enforcement penalties as a special assessment against a Platteville property.

Assistant County Attorney Adria Scheele identified Frank Kress as the owner of the Platteville property. A court found the property in violation of county code on Oct. 14, 2024, for an unscreened noncommercial junkyard and occupied campers and RVs. The court imposed a $25 daily penalty, leaving $17,550 outstanding after 702 days, Scheele said. She said the county had never certified penalties against the property before.

The property owner said Platteville provided two dumpsters but he had no one to help fill them; two workers he hired planned to clean up on their days off. Commissioner Kevin Ross said the board had repeatedly given Kress time and explained the cleanup requirements, but he saw Kress’s response as “blatant disregard.” Ross said he would have supported dismissing the fines if the property had been brought into compliance, but he doubted Kress would meet the board’s expectations.

Platteville had complained repeatedly to Weld County about the property and questioned why it was not being brought into compliance, Scheele said. On Oct. 12, a county code-compliance staff member viewed the property from the road rather than conducting an on-site inspection and saw that some items had been removed, though debris remained visible. The staff member estimated the property was 60% to 70% compliant but said debris visible from the county road still needed attention.