Title
Recommendation to Accept an Update on the City's Code Enforcement Program.
This action does not constitute a "project" as defined in California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15378 and therefore no further CEQA analysis is required. (Planning, Building, and Transportation 20962720)
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To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Jennifer Ott, City Manager
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This report provides an overview of the City's Code Enforcement Program within the Building Division of the Planning, Building and Transportation Department (Department). The overview purpose is to highlight the Code Enforcement Program's current operations and confirm that code enforcement priorities continue to align with City Council's expectations and community needs. In response to evolving community needs and new Ordinances adopted by the City Council, such as the gasoline leaf-blower ban, staff have begun adjusting its approach to handling a variety of code enforcement complaints this past year. These adjustments allowed the City of Alameda (City) to respond more effectively and in a timelier manner to a wider range of issues. As a result, the Department believes the Code Enforcement Program has become more responsive to both the City Council's priorities and the community's needs over the past year. That said, there remain challenges that strain the Code Enforcement Program, including changes in state and local laws that increase enforcement workload and a need to reduce reliance on permit fees to fund non-permit-related code enforcement activities. The Department seeks City Council comments on these matters and plans to bring proposals for its consideration during the budget process.
BACKGROUND
The City's Code Enforcement Program is housed in the Building Division of the Planning, Building, and Transportation Department. The Department last provided an update to the City Council on the program in February 2020.
"Code Enforc...
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