Any police officer or other person authorized
by the Selectman is authorized to issue citations for violations of
the Inland Wetlands Regulations of the Town of Clinton to the extent
and in a manner as provided by this chapter. Any such citation may
be served either by hand or by certified mail, return receipt requested,
to the person named in the citation. If the person named in the citation
sent by certified mail refuses to accept such mail, a citation may
be sent by regular United States mail. The fines set forth in this
chapter shall be in addition to and not in lieu of any penalties or
remedies set forth in the Clinton Inland Wetlands Regulations and
the Connecticut General Statutes.
The fine for each citation shall be not less
than $250 nor more than $1,000. The amount of the fine shall be based
on the severity of the environmental impact of the unauthorized activity.
A person receiving a citation shall be allowed a period of 30 days from his or her receipt of the citation to make an uncontested payment of the fine specified in the citation to the Treasurer of the Town of Clinton. If the citation has been sent by regular mail pursuant to §
335-1 of this chapter, the day of receipt of the citation shall be three business days after the day of mailing of the citation. Such payment shall be inadmissible in any proceedings, civil or criminal, to establish the conduct of such person or other person making the payment.
Any person issued a citation shall be entitled
to a hearing to contest the citation. All procedures, including but
not limited to notice, hearing, disposition, appeal and enforcement,
shall be as set forth in C.G.S. § 7-152c, Hearing procedure
for citations, and C.G.S. § 22a-42g, as the same may be
amended from time to time by the General Assembly.
The First Selectman shall appoint one or more
hearing officers to conduct hearings necessary to effect this chapter.
Neither the Inland Wetlands Enforcement Officer nor any employee of
the Town of Clinton exercising inland wetlands authority nor any member
of the Town of Clinton Inland Wetlands and Conservation Commission
may be appointed as a hearing officer pursuant to this chapter.