More than 250 rural home-based businesses complied with new county regulations requiring they become registered by Dec. 31, and those who didn't likely will face penalties in the near future.
Douglas County Commissioner Charles Jones said he was pleased 270 rural home-based businesses met the end-of-the-year deadline.
Kathy Griffin, who operates Wheat State Embroidery out of her home, had to register her business with the county as part of the new home occupation rules. The deadline to register was Monday. Griffin called the registration process "painless."
"I think when that many people have registered, it indicates we have done a good job of getting the word out and it also means there really isn't any excuse for those who haven't registered," Jones said. "The people who don't want to comply will face enforcement measures."
The county earlier this year approved new regulations requiring all home-based businesses to register. The new rules also will require some of the larger and more industrial home-based businesses to either move, rezone or downsize their businesses within the next five years.
During December, county officials increased their efforts to insure all home-based businesses knew about the new regulations by sending out registered letters to all suspected home-based businesses. The effort produced more than 120 new registrations.
But county officials said they suspect there are still a few businesses, including some "Type III" businesses, who have refused to register. The Type III businesses are those that have more than four employees or are industrial in nature. They have five years to come into compliance with the new regulations.
"I think we had thought there were maybe a little more than 300 businesses who needed to register, so it is good that we've gotten around that mark," Jones said.
"The ones who haven't registered we'll eventually hear about from neighbors or through complaints and then we'll push them into compliance with the law."
Type III business owners who didn't register by Monday will not be allowed the five-year transition period. They will be forced to begin making changes immediately to comply with the new laws.
Other smaller, less industrial home-based businesses that did not register by the deadline will be allowed to continue operating as a home-based business after they are detected, but will have to pay late registration penalty fees.
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