The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About06-04-2019 Item 07 - Authorizing the Collection of Delinquent Code Enforcement Fines Department Name: Community Development Cost Center: 4006 For Agenda of: June 4, 2019 Placement: Consent Estimated Time: N/A FROM: Michael Codron, Community Development Director Prepared By: Cassia Cocina, Code Enforcement Supervisor SUBJECT: RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE COLLECTION OF DELINQUENT CODE ENFORCEMENT FINES RECOMMENDATION Adopt a Resolution (Attachment A) authorizing the collection of delinquent code enforcement fines by the San Luis Obispo County Auditor by means of special assessments on th e secured property tax role. DISCUSSION Background The Building & Safety Division enforces building, housing, zoning, stormwater and property maintenance provisions contained in the San Luis Obispo Municipal Code through its Code Enforcement and Neighborhood Wellness programs. When violations are confirmed, a Notice of Violation is issued to the property owner describing the violation(s) and providing a time period for correction. This is preceded by an effort to contact the property owner to discuss the violation(s) and obtain voluntary compliance. When the initial Notice of Violation is not effective in gaining compliance, an Administrative Citation may be issued pursuant to SLOMC Chapter 1.24. Fines associated with Administrative Citations range from $50, $100, and $200 per violation for the first, second and third citations, respectively, issued for property maintenance related violations. For other violations of the Municipal Code the fines are $100, $500, and $1000 for the first, second and third violation; therefore, fines may be assessed on a daily basis for continuing violations beyond the third citation or in very delinquent or serious cases (SLOMC 1.24.050 D) Collection of Delinquent Fines Code Enforcement Administrative Citation fines are issued to property owners who fail to correct violations within a reasonable time period after issuance of a Notice of Violation. The property owner is afforded the right to appeal the Administrative Citation. Packet Pg. 21 Item 7 Unpaid fines become delinquent after sixty (60) days. Pursuant to SLOMC Section 1.24.150, Government Code section 53069.4, and 38773.5, unpaid fines may be collected by a special assessment (Attachment B). Special assessment requires certification of the amount of the fines by the City Council. The recommended Resolution (Attachment A) authorizes the San Luis Obispo County Auditor to assess the amounts due on delinquent fines as special tax assessments against the properties listed. A list of the outstanding fines for each property is attached as Attachment C. Each property owner has been sent a Notice of Proposed Special Assessment 10 days prior to the hearing, which notifies them of the time and date of the Council Meeting when the assessment is to be considered and providing them an opportunity to pay the delinquent fines prior to the hearing. The Community Development Department utilized extensive cross-checking with our tracking spreadsheet and Energov payment and billing records to identify the fines that are outstanding. Each case was then reviewed for accuracy, properly noticed and serviced, and the completion of any appeal submitted prior to inclusion in the resolution. Policy Context This process is consistent with the procedure prescribed by Municipal Code Section 1.24.150. Public Engagement All property owners with delinquent fines were contacted at least two times by mail. The item was noticed in The New Times 10 days prior to the meeting per the legal requirement. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW The California Environmental Quality Act does not apply to the recommended action in this report, because the action does not constitute a “Project” under CEQA Guidelines Sec. 15278. FISCAL IMPACT Budgeted: N/A Budget Year: 2018-2019 Funding Identified: N/A Fiscal Analysis: Projected revenue from the collection of delinquent fines by the County Auditor for Fiscal Year 2018-2019 are expected to be $50,550.00. Packet Pg. 22 Item 7 ALTERNATIVES Do not adopt the resolution and continue to forward unpaid fines to a collection agency. This is not recommended as it typically does not result in fines being paid in an amount to cover the fine, but more importantly placing liens does have the potential effect of causing the correction of persistent violations as owners typically will want the lien cleared and pay the fines in addition to addressing the violation. Attachments: a - Draft Resolution Collection of Delinquent Code Enforcement Fines b - SLO MC 1.24.150 c - List of Properties 2019 Attachment to Resolution Packet Pg. 23 Item 7 R ______ RESOLUTION NO. _____ (2019 SERIES) A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO, CALIFORNIA, AUTHORIZING THE SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY AUDITOR TO ASSESS AMOUNTS DUE ON DELINQUENT ADMINISTRATIVE FINES AS SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS AGAINST THE PROPERTIES PURSUANT TO CALIFORNIA GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 53069.4(a) WHEREAS, Government Code Section 53069.4(a) authorizes the City to adopt an ordinance that governs the imposition, enforcement, collection and administrative review of administrative fines arising out of violations of the Municipal Code; and WHEREAS, pursuant to Government Code Section 53069.4(a), the City adopted Chapter 1.24 of the Municipal Code, which has been subsequently amend; and WHEREAS, Section 1.24.150 of the Municipal Code provides that the City may request that the County Assessor collect, on behalf of the City, any administrative fines which are more than 60 days delinquent, and which are certified by the City Council as special assessments; and WHEREAS, the City Council of San Luis Obispo finds that all of the fine amounts for the referenced properties listed below are at least 60 days delinquent; and WHEREAS, the property owners responsible for the violations were notified of the violations and received citations and were subsequently notified in writing by a notice mailed May 20, 2019 pursuant to Section 1.24.150 of the Municipal Code of this hearing and their right to contest the assessment. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the City of San Luis Obispo as follows: SECTION 1. Recitals. The above recitals are true and correct and incorporated herein by this reference as the findings of the City Council. SECTION 2. Action. The City of San Luis Obispo hereby authorizes the San Luis Obispo County Auditor to assess the amounts due on delinquent accounts as special assessment against the properties listed on the Exhibit A, pursuant to California Government Code 54988, et seq. Upon motion of _______________________, seconded by _______________________, and on the following roll call vote: AYES: NOES: ABSENT: The foregoing resolution was adopted this _____ day of _____________________ 2019. Packet Pg. 24 Item 7 Resolution No. _____ (2019 Series) Page 2 R ______ ____________________________________ Mayor Heidi Harmon ATTEST: ____________________________________ Teresa Purrington City Clerk APPROVED AS TO FORM: _____________________________________ J. Christine Dietrick City Attorney IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the official seal of the City of San Luis Obispo, California, this ______ day of ______________, 2019. ____________________________________ Teresa Purrington City Clerk Packet Pg. 25 Item 7 Packet Pg. 26 Item 7 Packet Pg. 27 Item 7 Exhibit A Name of Property Owner Assessor's Parcel # Property Address Amount Due Citation # BROOKLANDS PROPERTIES LLC 003-723-019 220 Branch $3,000.00 00015382 BUCHER FAMILY TRUST 052-123-013 376 Graves $50.00 00013157 BURCH JERRY 004-784-009 2505 Johnson $400.00 00012580 BURCH JERRY 004-784-009 2505 Johnson $600.00 00012942 BURCH JERRY 004-784-009 2505 Johnson $600.00 00013265 BURCH JERRY 004-784-009 2505 Johnson $600.00 00013690 BURCH JERRY 004-784-009 2505 Johnson $600.00 00014107 BURCH JERRY 004-784-009 2505 Johnson $400.00 00014559 BURCH JERRY 004-784-009 2505 Johnson $400.00 00015144 BURCH JERRY 004-784-009 2505 Johnson $400.00 00015477 DEVRIVERA TROY N 003-736-008 2122 Harris $200.00 00013394 DEVRIVERA TROY N 003-736-008 2122 Harris $1,000.00 00013656 DEVRIVERA TROY N 003-736-008 2122 Harris $2,000.00 00013801 GOMES CAROL A 004-902-004 2415 Lawton Ave $1,000.00 00013437 GRANDFIELD DARIN 003-564-009 1690 Fairview $200.00 00009524 GRUNOW FAMILY TRUST 003-653-011 2050 Swazey $600.00 00015344 HERRERA MATTHEW 001-132-003 1565 Phillips $200.00 00012934 HERRERA MATTHEW 001-132-003 1565 Phillips $200.00 00013266 HERRERA MATTHEW 001-132-003 1565 Phillips $200.00 00013694 HERRERA MATTHEW 001-132-003 1565 Phillips $200.00 00014109 HERRERA MATTHEW 001-132-003 1565 Phillips $200.00 00014561 HERRERA MATTHEW 001-132-003 1565 Phillips $200.00 00015143 HERRERA MATTHEW 001-132-003 1565 Phillips $200.00 00015479 HERRERA MATTHEW 001-132-018 1575 Phillips $500.00 00012579 HERRERA MATTHEW 001-132-018 1575 Phillips $500.00 00012936 HERRERA MATTHEW 001-132-018 1575 Phillips $200.00 00012935 HERRERA MATTHEW 001-132-018 1575 Phillips $500.00 00013267 HERRERA MATTHEW 001-132-018 1575 Phillips $500.00 00013695 HERRERA MATTHEW 001-132-018 1575 Phillips $500.00 00014108 HERRERA MATTHEW 001-132-018 1575 Phillips $700.00 00014562 HERRERA MATTHEW 001-132-018 1575 Phillips $700.00 00015142 HERRERA MATTHEW 001-132-018 1575 Phillips $700.00 00015478 HIRANANDANI FAMILY TRUST 002-424-028 733 Higuera $150.00 00015021 HIRANANDANI FAMILY TRUST 002-424-028 733 Higuera $600.00 00015182 JKLBROAD LLC A CA LLC 002-422-017 1131 Broad $500.00 00013657 JKLBROAD LLC A CA LLC 002-422-017 1131 Broad $7,000.00 00013993 JKLBROAD LLC A CA LLC 002-422-017 1131 Broad $7,000.00 00014133 KIRAN DATTANI 001-113-005 1142 Montalban $50.00 00015120 LATER ROGER & EVELYN TRUST 053-242-032 1097 San Adriano $100.00 00013162 MALONE DONALD D 004-272-036 1222 Laguna $150.00 00013799 MALONE DONALD D 004-272-036 1222 Laguna $300.00 00013999 MALONE DONALD D 004-272-036 1222 Laguna $600.00 00014170 MALONE DONALD D 004-272-036 1222 Laguna $8,400.00 00015040 MIKE CHARTIER IRA 052-072-007 301 Hathway $50.00 00013545 Packet Pg. 28 Item 7 Exhibit A Name of Property Owner Assessor's Parcel # Property Address Amount Due Citation # NEWMAN JOHN O LIVING TRUST 053-181-042 3285 South Higuera $200.00 00013519 ROSS SALLY 003-512-003 1224 Carmel $600.00 00014080 SAD TO SLO LLC 052-503-002 530 Couper $50.00 00014781 SNYDER ALFRED H & ELEANOR G FAMILY TRUST (10/7/87) 003-564-007 1672 Fairview $50.00 00012773 SNYDER ALFRED H & ELEANOR G FAMILY TRUST (10/7/87) 003-564-007 1672 Fairview $100.00 00012946 SNYDER ALFRED H & ELEANOR G FAMILY TRUST (10/7/87) 003-564-007 1672 Fairview $200.00 00013152 STEVEN WHITE 003-646-009 1821 Morro $6,000.00 00013315 TAUS VAUGHN C & SASHA T FAMILY TRUST 052-092-021 111 Kentucky $100.00 00015416 VILLAGE AT BROAD STREET FAMILY HOUSING LP A CA LP 004-845-014 2240 Emily 120 $100.00 00015632 Total $ 50, 550.00 Packet Pg. 29 Item 7 Page intentionally left blank. Packet Pg. 30 Item 7