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Home My WebLink About1998-02-24 - AGENDA REPORTS - CODE ENFORCEMENT UPDATE (2)CITY OF SANTA CLARITA AGENDA REPORT NEW BUSINESS DATE: February 24, 1998 City Mani Item to be Ken Pulskamp SUBJECT: CODE ENFORCEMENT SECTION: UPDATE DEPARTMENT: Planning and Building Services Department RECOMMENDED ACTION City Council accept report for informational purposes only. At the May 1997 Study Session, the City Council was presented with an overview of the City's Code Enforcement Section (The above referenced material is contained in the May 6, 1997 Code Enforcement Operations: Request For Policy Direction Report, and is available in the City Clerk's Reading File). At this meeting, staff was requested to: Maintain the existing level of staffing in the Code Enforcement Section; D Explore opportunities to develop a Code Enforcement Volunteer Program; Explore possible ways to increase proactive Code Enforcement efforts. In response to this request, staff would like to take this opportunity to highlight the Code Enforcement Section's 1997 accomplishments and review goals established for 1998. Staff would like to focus the remaining portion of this report on the outstanding work of the City's Code Enforcement Officers, and the everyday efforts that have established a program that is both responsive and effective. CODE ENFORCEMENT SECTION -1997 YEAR-END SUMAIIARY During calendar year 1997, the Code Enforcement Section opened 1398 new cases, and closed a total of 1406 cases (this figure includes cases carried over from the previous year). Overall, the productivity of the Code Enforcement Section (in terms of both cases processed and staff resources) remained consistent with statistics compiled from previous years. The information below provides the City Council with: 1) a statistical comparison of 1996 & 1997; and 2) a detailed analysis of the work accomplished by the Code Enforcement Section in 1997. nye pMo � DOYEN Agenda Items: 1996 v. 1997 Comparisons 1996 1997 Opened Cases 1400 1398 Field Inspections 4251 4843 Violations & Stop Work Notices 1074 1058 Closed Cases 1363 1406 Before an analysis of the above information, staff believes that it is important for the City Council to be fully aware of the resources allocated to the Code Enforcement Section. In terms of approved positions, this Section currently consists of one (1) full-time Senior Code Enforcement Officer, and three (3) full-time Code Enforcement Officers. 1997 Code Enforcement Statistics - Breakdown A. By Each Code Enforcement Officer Number of new cases opened during 1997 466 Number of new cases opened per month 39 Number of new cases opened per day ®19 workings days/month 2.05 > Number of field inspections in 1997 1615 Number of field inspections per month 135 Number of field inspections per day @ 19 working days/month 7.1 B. By the Entire Section Number of cases requiring a District Attorney (D.A.) Conference 14 Number of cases requiring D.A. follow up action 5 Number of cases requiring criminal prosecution by D.A. 0 C. Percentage of total cases involving: 1997 Code Enforcement Statistics - Analysis In reviewing the Code Enforcement Section's collective work efforts for the previous year, the statistic that is most telling about the effectiveness of our program is staffs interaction with the 1996 1997 Illegal Construction Issues 15% 12% Substandard Property Conditions 18% 19% Unpermitted Signage 09% 06% Land Use Issues 20% 24% Safety Concerns 11% 12% Miscellaneous Violations 18% 20% Vehicles Issues 09% 07% 1997 Code Enforcement Statistics - Analysis In reviewing the Code Enforcement Section's collective work efforts for the previous year, the statistic that is most telling about the effectiveness of our program is staffs interaction with the 7 District Attorney's Office. In 1997, the Code Enforcement Section resolved 99% of all cases at the staff level. Simply stated, out of 1400 total cases processed by the Code Enforcement Section in 1997, only 14 required any type of District Attorney involvement, and not one case ever progressed to a court hearing. Equally as important, working in conjunction with the City's Building Inspection staff, the Code Enforcement Section increased the total number of Substandard Property Condition cases processed in 1997. As depicted above, almost one out of five cases processed by the Code Enforcement Section directly dealt with a substandard property issue. Additionally, a member of the City's Building Inspection staff is supplementing the efforts of the Code Enforcement Section in this area, and is processing declarations of substandard and unsafe buildings approximately two days each week. Through these additional efforts, the City was able to record 100 substandard properties 1997. Code Enforcement Section - 1997 Accomulishments/1998 Goals The following information provides the City Council with the Code Enforcement Section's top five accomplishments for 1997, and the top five goals for 1998: 1997 Accomplishments: 1. Continued the proactive removal of hundreds of advertising signs from the public right of ways during monthly sweeps of the City's major thoroughfares. 2. Continued proactive corrective measures on unpermitted construction in progress and imminent safety hazards within the public right of way. 3. Required or otherwise assisted with the demolition of several abandoned/unsafe structures to improve the public's general welfare. 4. Served as staff support to the City's Sign Task Force. Code Enforcement staff worked directly with both the Planning Division and local business owners in the City's continuing effort to bring all legal non -conforming signage into compliance with the sign ordinance by November 14, 1999. 5. Completed nearly 200 hours of Basic/Intermediate Certification training administered by the Southern California Association of Code Enforcement Officials. 1998 Goals: 1. Continue to proactively remove hundreds of advertising signs from the public rights of way during monthly sweeps of the City's major thoroughfares. 2. Continue proactive efforts (initiated in December of 1997) to work with the Newhall CIT Team, and participate in the Citywide TEAM Policing Program with the Sheriffs Department. 3. Provide necessary service to the Stormwater Utility Section for investigation of illicit connections/illicit discharges within the public storm drain system. 4. Train a part-time Code Enforcement Volunteer to assist the full-time staff. This position was staffed in mid-February 1998 and encompasses various field and office duties. 5. Complete 120 hours of Advanced Certification Training, and 30 hours of Hazardous Materials Training. What Makes Santa Clarita's Code Enforcement Program So Effective? ATTITUDE During the first ten years of the City's existence, the Code Enforcement Section has enjoyed a great deal of success and, more importantly, a positive relationship with the residents of Santa Clarita. In staffs opinion, the one attribute that clearly distinguishes the City's Code Enforcement is "attitude." From the start, the Code Enforcement Section was built on a foundation that stresses strong customer services skills. This "can do" attitude encompasses the approach that "every issue can be resolved at the staff level." The City's Code Enforcement Officers make every effort to work with residents to achieve "voluntary compliance." Most of the time, staff bends over backwards to give residents every opportunity to address a code violation before initiating District Attorney action. It is this type of approach that has allowed the City to resolve 99% of all Code Enforcement cases without any assistance from the District Attorney's Office. Unlike the County of Los Angeles Department of Regional Planning (which provides for Code Enforcement services for residents living in the unincorporated portion of the Santa Clarita Valley), the City of Santa Clarita maintains a Code Enforcement Section that is extremely responsive and user friendly. While County Code Enforcement Officers will only act upon requests received in writing, the City has always maintained a policy that accepts requests for service in writing, via telephone, or in person (provided that they are not of an anonymous nature). Further, the City's Code Enforcement staff generally conducts an initial inspection within three (3) working days, compared to the County's response time which can take three or more weeks. RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHER AGENCIES During their day to day activities, the City's officers are frequently required to work closely with representatives of other local agencies to complete their work assignments. A great deal of the success enjoyed by the City's Code Enforcement Section is a result of the positive working relationships that our staff has developed over the years with these agencies. The demands for service placed upon the Code Enforcement Section require the City's officers to be knowledgeable of the responsibilities of County Agencies such as Sheriff, Fire, Health, Business Licensing, Flood Control, and Animal Control. Additionally, officers regularly have contact with representatives from the State Alcohol Beverage Control, and State Fish and Game. In closing, staff has a great deal of confidence in the day to day operations of the Code Enforcement Division. The staff that comprises this section consistently demonstrates the uncanny ability to operate at a high level of responsiveness and productivity, while providing a quality service for residents that is both professional and courteous. ALTERNATIVE ACTIONS No alternative actions are recommended at this time. FISCAL IMPACT None h:\ce\022498re.pt