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Home My WebLink About04/12/2011, B 1 - MAJOR CITY GOALS AND OTHER IMPORTANT OBJECTIVES WORK PROGRAMS FOR 2011-2013, NEIGHBORHOOD WELLNESS Re: Major City Goals and Other Important Objectives Work Programs for 2011-2013, Neighborhood Wellness Section Dear Mayor Marx and Members of the City Council, Over the years several of our neighborhoods have been allowed to deteriorate. The onset of the recession ended plans to address this deterioration with neighborhood police patrols, but the recession did not halt the decline. Unless this aspect of our city is dealt with and quality of life restored, people will not want to live here. There are already areas of the city that realtors avoid when showing houses to singles and families because of the noise and blight. (Of note, two nice houses we looked at purchasing in 1992 are in areas we would not even consider living in now.) I strongly support the recommendation from Residents for Quality Neighborhoods to add three full-time equivalent Neighborhood Services Specialists (NSS)to city staff, specifically to deal with code violations and noise violations in residential neighborhoods, and with their recommendation for placement of these positions, two full-time NSS in Code Enforcement and two part-time NSS in the Police Department. I, also, support returning the responsibility for monitoring and enforcing the Neighborhood Enhancement Ordinance to the Community Development Department to work along side and be part of Code Enforcement. I agree that it can be difficult to determine what department handles which issue, and I think this consolidation would simplify resident- staff communication. In addition to the above, I recommend the responsibility for enforcement of neighborhood Parking Districts be integrated into this combined Code Enforcement/NEO office. It seems wasteful to have staff already monitoring/warning/citing violations in neighborhoods to not, also, cite Parking District violations. This seems to me to be the best, most streamlined solution to managing three of the major problems faced daily in our declining neighborhoods. Although I do not support the solution proposed in this Work Plan, there are several components feel are important to highlight and retain: 1) Increase the monitoring and enforcement of code (and noise!) violations. 2) Identify and map neighborhoods as a framework to improving communication with residents and developing location-specific solutions to problems as part of the Land Use Element Update. (Council needs to monitor the notification processes and locations selected for these meetings.) 3) Increase enforcement of parking violations in neighborhoods. While reading the report, I felt compelled to comment on some of the material contained therein. However, since the topics are quite varied, I have included those comments as an attachment. At one time it may not have been necessary to dedicate employees to addressing problems in our residential neighborhoods. However, the neighborhoods have been neglected for long enough that some are at or near the tipping point. For the sake of our city's long-term health, I ask that you provide dedicated resources, Neighborhood Services Specialists, to halt the decline. Thank you for your time and attention in this matter. Sincerely, hard°0 eman: RED FILE o COUNCM7CL= DIR o• AWaMFM HEF — MEETING AGENDA Sandra Rowley ° ^T R G CLEWMI IG POLICE PAT0112V ITEM # 61 SLO Resident C PM &RFcDIR C TRIBUNE IR o NEWTDM o SLO MY NEMCIL GR General Comments Page B1-26, Proposed Work.Scope, 4`h bullet. Regarding the deterioration of housing stock, the city contacted and visited at least one city(Azusa)several years ago to learn how they solved the problem. Their solution, a rental inspection ordinance that paid for itself; was not supported by either staff or the council at that time. An alternative, inspection upon sale, was also rejected. Page 131-26, Proposed Work Scope. 7d' bullet. I agree with the concept of voluntary compliance; however, I do not think the same person committing the same violation repeatedly should get a 72-hour notice to correct each time. Two, maybe three, times should be sufficient. Page 131-27, 3rd bullet.from the top & page B1-28,2 nd bullet from.the top. Does this mean if someone piles trash, household junk or construction material within view of the public right of way, the Utilities Department is the proper place to contact to get it removed? I thought it was Neighborhood Services and that SNAP would be dispatched. Page 13127, 0 bullet from the top. This states the Public Works Department handles parking violations in neighborhoods. I do not recall seeing or hearing of a Parking Officer issuing tickets for parking violations that occurred in residential neighborhoods. I thought that was a task given to SNAP personnel, or to a police officer or police technician if SNAP was not on duty. Pages B1-28, 29, Enforcement of Illegal Conversions. (a) When house-hunting from 2000-2002, we were informed on several occasions by realtors for the sellers about non-permitted construction that existed in homes. From this I deduced that non- permitted construction must be a disclosure requirement,just like a death. (b) Some realtors may, in the past, have been culpable in the proliferation of non-permitted construction by telling prospective buyers that the city did not actively enforce the permitting process and by suggesting workmen to do the job. (c) Education of property owners and students might, in fact, enhance enforcement. Use of student newspapers and the Cal Poly radio station might aid in this effort.. Page 131-29, Education and Enforcement of Neighborhood Enhancement Ordinance Violations. (a) Review of enforcement procedures may reveal a more simplified chain of events that either does not involve the City Attorney or minimizes such involvement. (b) Although I think SNAP is a very valuable asset, use of permanent city employees is preferable so that they can get to know the problems in the various neighborhoods and, thus, be better able to address them. Page 8129, Unauthorized Fraternities and Sororities. (aj Many city residents are unaware that the Greek organizations are not allowed in R-1/2 neighborhoods nor how to recognize the unlawful use of a residence as a satellite house. Some form of education needs to be directed to residents as well as to the student population. (b) Per paragraph one, current city policy states that fraternities and sororities that have been disaffiliated by Cal Poly for violations of conduct policies are subject to the revocation of their use permits by the City. I would be interested to learn why this sentence does not read, ". . . for violations of conduct policies shall have their use permits revoked by the City." (c)The second paragraph of this sub-heading states that, although members of the same fraternity or sorority may reside together in R-1/2, they are not allowed to use the residence as a "satellite"fraternity/sorority house "on an ongoing basis to conduct meetings or host organized events related to the organization." This statement, as well as being ambiguous, does not track with the prohibition of locating Greek organizations in other than R-3/4 nor with Section 17.22.10 of the Municipal Code, and does not add to the quality of life for residents in R-1/2 zones. Page 131-30, High Occupancy Use. Although voluntary compliance to high occupancy violations is, and I think should be, the preferred method of achieving success, it is important to note that San Diego used our regulation as their guide when writing their high occupancy ordinance. This would seem to be a testament to ours being well-written. The second paragraph describes added outreach planned for property owners and managers; suggest realtors be added to the list. Page 131-30. Increased Neighborhood Parking Enforcement. (a) Use of Neighborhood Services Specialists to perform this function would be preferable to adding an additional Parking Officer. Parking District hours vary, thus the ideal time(s)to check a particular parking district depends on the hours established for that district. Also, residents will know when violations normally occur. The NSS can conduct parking district enforcement along with his code or NEO investigations. (b) Obviously, there will need to be interdepartmental coordination, logically with the Police Depart- ment, in order to cover the affected parking districts at night and during early morning hours. Page B1-30, Work Program Constraints and Limitations. One of the reasons some of our residential neighborhoods have deteriorated is that they have not been subject to regular enforcement. I believe the trash can ordinance was met with resistance because it was covered in the news as a "new" ordinance. Many residents, and newspaper columnists, did not realize the revised ordinance was not substantially different from the old one, or that there was an old one, and that most, if not all, other cities have similar ordinances. Another reason for neighborhood deterioration is that some neighborhoods have a large number of first-time renters—and others—who are unaware of basic necessary actions associated with living in a residential neighborhood. s ma. counat memoRAnbum city oFsan lu�s_os�spo,�a0mirnstRatton 6epttmEnt DATE: April 7, 2011 F RECEIVED TO: Mayor and City Council 2 APR. 0 011 SLO CITY CLERK VIA: Katie Lichtig, City Manager FROM: Michael Codron,Assistant City Manager SUBJECT: Red File: Item B1 Major City Goals and Other Important Objectives Work Programs for 2011-13 The Cost and Funding Summary of the Major City Goals work programs contained incorrect costs summaries related to the Natural Resources Preservation Other Important Objective. The cost summary by objective and cost summary by funding source tables have been corrected. Please replace page B1-13 of your agenda with the attached corrected page. The Neighborhood Wellness Major City Goal work program contained formatting hierarchy inconsistencies among the paragraph heading and sub-headings. Please replace pages B1-26 through B1-33 of your agenda packet with the attached corrected pages. -hard-copy.. emal: RED FILE "dO.�� aw MEETING AGENDA ,�,,n �DM DATE._ _Z ITEM #� Pic p a�M 7 nuwn P crnDM gINW7RM PHRDM l� SMCnYNM p courgca frcrrymm a atx DocumenO e ' COST AND FUNDING SUMMARY The following summarizes operating program and capital improvement plan (CIP) costs to achieve the major City goal work programs and proposed funding sources. Major City Goal: Cost Sulinmary By Goal Vratin rams Capital Improvement Plan 11-1Z 2012-13 2011-12 2012-13 Economic Development $ 117,500 $ 42,500 Preservation of Essential Services&Fiscal Health 87,500 67,500 Neighborhood Wellness 65,300 102,600 Traffic Congestion Relief 119.600 126200 603.500 426,500 Total $ 389.900 $ 338,800 1 $ 603,500 $ 426,500 Major Citv Goal: Cost Summa Fun 'ng Source O eratin Programs Capital Improvement Pian 2011-12 2012-13 2011-12 2012-13 General Fund $ 336,000 $ 251,600 $ 322,500 $ 111,500 Parking Fund 53,900 87200 Transportation Impact Fee Fund 73,000 25,000 State Bicycle Transportation Account Grant 50,000 250.000 State Highway and Other Grants 158,000 40.000 Total $ 389.900 $ 338,800 $ 603.500 $ 426,500 Other Important Objective Cost Summar i By Objective O eratin Pro rams Capital Im rovement Plan 2011-12 2012-13 2011-12 2012-13 Open Space Preservation $ 237,500 $ 22,500 Infrastructure Maintenance 6.256,200 5,754,000 Planning:Update Land Use and Circulation Elements 1,247,500 67,500 Affordable Housing/Homeless Services 239,000 239,000 Total $ 1,486.500 $ 306.500 1 $ 6,493,700 $ 5,776,500 Other Important Objective: Cost Summa By Funding Source O eratin Programs Ca ital Im rovement Pian 2011-12 2012-13 2011-12 2012-13 General Fund $ 472,500 $ 172,500 $ 2,518,200 $ 2.396,000 Water Fund 250,000 200,000 Sewer Fund 3.390.000 2,370,000 Parking Fund 195,000 Army Compatible Use Buffer Program Grant 335.500 335,500 Zone 9 Grant 280,000 Strategic Growth Council Grant 880,000 Co-Munity Development Block Grant Fund 134,000 134,000 Total -+$-1.352.500 $ 172.500 1 $ 6.493,700 $ 5,776.500 -6- B1-13 ATTACHMENT NEIGHBORHOOD WELLNESS OBJECTIVE Embrace and implement pro-active code enforcement and Neighborhood Wellness policies. DISCUSSION Measure Y Relationship: The major City goal for neighborhood wellness directly supports neighborhood code enforcement, a top priority for the use of Measure Y funds. Proposed Work Scope This work program will focus on the development of policies and procedures to create a more proactive approach to neighborhood code violations and overall neighborhood wellness,with specific focus on: • Increasing the monitoring of property conditions and enforcement of code violations in the City's neighborhoods. • Identifying and mapping neighborhoods in the City in order to provide a fiainework for location-specific initiatives and better communication between city staff and residents. (This will be done as part of the Land Use Element update.) • Consulting with major stakeholders and, based on their feedback, updating the existing Neighborhood Wellness Work Plan. • Reviewing and considering best practices used in other jurisdictions to further neighborhood wellness. • Evaluating how all City departments are currently coordinating responses to violations, and creating a more streamlined methodology for the pro-active reporting and enforcement of violations without depending on citizen complaints. • Developing consistent code enforcement policies to be utilized throughout the organization. • Revisiting existing policies that emphasize voluntary compliance over assertive enforcement techniques. • Improving the code enforcement database and access to the database information. • Further cross-training City employees to be the `-`eyes and ears" within neighborhoods to ensure code violations are pro-actively addressed rather than requiring the nuisance be called in by residents or other complaintants. • Increasing enforcement of parking violations in the neighborhoods. Existing Situation Overall coordination of the City's efforts related to neighborhood wellness is accomplished by the Neighborhood Services Team, comprised of City staff from Police, Public Works,Fire and Community Development and led by the Neighborhood Services Manager in the Police Department. Enforcement of the various codes related to neighborhood violations is conducted by several City departments. • The Current Planning Division of the Community Development Department establishes policies and procedures for determining residential parking standards and maintains a database of approved parking areas in front yards. • The Police Department Office of Neighborhood Services, through the Student neighborhood Assistance Program (SNAP) addresses low-level code enforcement violations visible from the public right of way, such as trash can placement, debris in yards, overgrown shrubbery and weeds. SNAP employees are also responsible for enforcing residential parking standards, illegal front yard parking, and noise ordinance violations. • The Fire Prevention Bureau within the Fire Department handles fire hazards such as tall weeds and conducts life safety inspections for businesses and residential apartments as required by state law. B1-26 19 ATTACHMENT NEIGHBORHOOD WELLNESS • The Code Enforcement Office, within the Building & Safety Division of the Community Development Department, investigates violations of many different building and zoning regulations, including serious violations involving potentially hazardous conditions. • The Long-Range Planning Division of the Community Development Department prepares land use and area plans within the City. • The Utilities Department provides services to ensure accumulated waste does not create nuisances in neighborhoods and the community's wastewater system does not suffer negative impacts from illicit discharges. • The Public Works Department enforces illegal encroachments within the City's right of way areas, coordinates citizen requests for traffic management and neighborhood parking districts within neighborhoods, including parking violations in neighborhoods, oversees flood protection regulations, and maintains infrastructure related to neighborhood wellness, such as street lighting, roadways, directional signage and trees. • The Finance& Information Technology(FIT) Department administers the City's Business tax and licensing program, including residential rental properties, and processes invoices for administrative fines for code and noise violations. • The Geographic Information Systems division in the FIT Department produces maps based on geographic attributes. • The City Attorney's Office provides legal support for enforcement related activities, and initiates judicial action if necessary to achieve compliance. Project Work Completed In 2007-2009, Neighborhood Wellness was addressed through implementation of the Major City Goal titled "Increased Building.& Zoning Code Enforcement and Community Appearance". At that time staffing increases were approved for the Student Neighborhood Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Code Enforcement Office. The action plan for that goal included development of a Neighborhood Wellness Work Plan which was created through collaboration among several city departments and community stakeholders. Since the implementation of this plan, the number of code violations that are indentified by city staff increased significantly, creating a more pro-active program. Code Enforcement staff still utilizes this work plan to direct their priorities: The work plan has elements that are relevant to this new Major City Goal and could provide a good foundation to build upon. The key elements of the work plan included the following: 1. Increased outreach in order to increase reporting of code violations. 2. Cross training employees from PD, Parking,Rangers etc,in order to recognize serious code violations and improve cross-departmental reporting. 3. Faster responses with specific emphasis on complaints that jeopardize safety or create neighborhood blight. 4. Examine enforcement policies to ensure they are effective as a deterrent to violations and(are used)as a corrective mechanism. 5. Identify and list high priority issues that affect our neighborhoods and compile a list of code enforcement issues that will be used as a guide when additional resources become available. This list includes: • Illegal garage conversions • Weeds too tall 20 B1"27 ATTACHMENT NEIGHBORHOOD WELLNESS • Improper storage of trash cans • Storage of trash, household junk, and construction materials visible from the public right of way • Construction without a permit • Too many people living in a house • Sign violations • Fences or Hedges too tall Other neighborhood issues; such as noise complaints, have been addressed through increased education and enforcement and will continue to be a focus of neighborhood efforts. Progress of Existing Programs and Proposed Enhancements Review and Modification of Existing Code Enforcement and Neighborhood Wellness Policies Philosophy of Voluntary Compliance Within the preamble of Resolution 9366 and also the stated purpose in section 1.24.010 the following wording appears; "the City has and shall continue to employ the philosophy of voluntary compliance when seeking compliance with this code." The section continues with very specific guidance to staff regarding implementation of the fines. " Prior to implementation of the enforcement policies and penalties stated herein, voluntary compliance approaches, when practical, should first be used to educate City property owners and businesses concerning the requirements of the Code and the corrective action necessary to correct a violation of this Code." To be consistent with this intent, City staff works hard to adhere to the Administrative Citation Guidelines, notifying it's citizen's of the regulations and in most cases we give a warning prior to resorting to fines. We also work hard to find the best resolution to code violations that fulfills the goals of our General Plan, complies with our Codes and ensures we do not violate the rights of the property owners or business owners. Following the principles of the voluntary compliance philosophy on a case by case basis has resulted in fewer fines or citations then anticipated. Staff will be discussing issues with all stakeholders to better define the intent of the philosophy. One issue to be explored is whether it will be sufficient to meet with neighborhood groups to discuss typical code violations before enforcing code sections even though a property owner or resident that lives within that specific neighborhood may or may not have attended the public outreach meeting. Once staff has met with the stakeholder's and there is consensus regarding the acceptable practice related to the assessment of fines or fees, staff will return to Council to provide an update and seek Council's direction to change compliance procedures. The primary goal will be to ensure all department's responsible for code enforcement activities will have a common procedure to follow as it relates to assessing fines or fees. Enforcement of Illegal Conversions The Code Enforcement Office deals with approximately 40 illegal conversion cases per year. This type of violation is not always recognizable from the public right of way and code enforcement staff relies on residents'to report the violations. Because of the transient nature of student renters in the neighborhoods, and the fact that these illegal conversions routinely result in substandard housing conditions, the volume of activity has remained relatively constant. Code enforcement staff has provided cross training to SNAP and Fire Department personnel in an effort to increase pro-active enforcement of this type of violation, however recent staffing limitations in code enforcement staff have affected this effort. In order to enhance this effort, staff proposes to increase public outreach to students, property owners and managers and neighborhood advocates in order to educate them on the inherent hazards associated with illegal conversions (including increased fire risk) and increase reporting of violations. Use of Channel 20, website and 21 Bl-28 ATTACHMENT NEIGHBORHOOD WELLNESS other social media outlets to distribute information about recognizing and reporting possible violations could result in more violations being reported. Education and Enforcement of Neighborhood Enhancement Ordinance Violations SNAP employees (part-time student employees) enforce violations of the Neighborhood Enhancement Ordinance (NEO) both pro-actively (on-view violations not based on a complaint) and complaint-driven. Typical violations include improper trash can placement, debris or furniture in front yards or on roofs, and overgrown shrubs or yards. Violations must be visible from the public right-of-way in order for enforcement action to be taken. Enforcement is a multi-step process, consisting of an initial assessment of the situation to determine if a violation is occurring and the issuance of a Notice to Correct the violation. SNAP re-checks the location after 72 hours and if the violation has not been corrected, photographs are taken to document the violation and the case is filed with the City Attorney for further action. Currently, SNAP employees conduct NEO enforcement an average of 16 hours each week from September through May and eight hours per week during the summer months. Enforcement is conducted during the daytime to allow better observation and photo documentation of violations from the public right-of-way. In order to increase enforcement of NEO violations, as well as neighborhood parking violations including front yard parking, staff proposed to increase SNAP enforcement hours to a total of 40 hours per week from September through May and 30 hours per week during summer months. This will allow increased pro-active education and enforcement throughout City neighborhoods of NEO and parking violations in a very cost-effective manner. Enforcement of Unauthorized Fraternities,Sororities and High Occupancy violations within Neighborhoods Cross-training and improved collaboration between Code Enforcement, Fire, Police and Parking staff has resulted in pro-active reporting and investigation of high-occupancy and unauthorized use violations (operating a Fraternity or Sorority without a use permit). Approximately twenty cases per year are investigated by Code Enforcement. Current outreach efforts include participation in the Student Community Liaison Committee and collaboration with Cal Poly's Student Life and Leadership staff in order to inform the student population of the City's requirements regarding these issues. Unauthorized Fraternities and Sororities Existing regulations allow Fraternities and Sororities to be established in R-3 and R-4 residential zones only and the Greek organizations must obtain a use permit from Community Development to operate as a Fraternity or Sorority. The use permit allows increased occupancy in the residence and the hosting of related events. The Council recently approved a modification to the Zoning ordinance that requires the Greek organization be affiliated and recognized by Cal Poly in order to obtain a use permit from the City. Fraternities or Sororities that have been disaffiliated by Cal Poly for violations of conduct policies are subject to the revocation of their use permits by the City. At times, Greek organizations will utilize residences within R-1 and R-2 zones for their activities. It is not unlawful for members of the same Fraternity or Sorority to live together in an R-1 or R-2 zone; however they are not allowed to utilize their residences as a"satellite"Fraternity or Sorority houses on an on-going basis to conduct meetings or host organized events related to the organization. When this occurs, staff from Code Enforcement and the Police Department work together to verify the violation and take appropriate enforcement action. Enhancements to this effort would include increased outreach to Greek organizations and Cal Poly staff to help them understand the limitations of the regulations and the impacts of these unauthorized activities on our low density residential neighborhoods. Cross training of City staff regarding how to recognize unlawful use would occur in order to increase pro-active reporting of potential violations. B1-29 22 ATTACHMENT NEIGHBORHOOD WELLNESS High Occupancy Use Section 17.93 of the Zoning Regulations describes performance standards that must be met in order to allow six or more unrelated adults to occupy residences within R-1 or R-2 zones. In general, due to prior legal challenges to similar ordinances and sensitivity to the potential displacement of tenants, Code Enforcement staff seeks voluntary compliance for these types of violations and achieves a high success rate for obtaining compliance from property owners. Currently, Code Enforcement staff investigates an average of ten cases per year and the majority of these violations are referrals from other departments, including the Parking Division and Police Department. When the limitations of the property will not allow for the approval of the use, staff allows the existing tenants to fulfill the obligations of their lease and the owners have been cooperative by limiting future occupancy to a maximum of five tenants. Staff is not proposing any changes to the way these violations are being enforcement. However, as part of this work program, staff will conduct additional outreach to property owners and property managers in order to prevent violations from occurring. Outreach efforts will include attending meetings of related organizations, such as the SLO Property Owners Association, the SLO Property Managers Association, neighborhood groups and student organizations to discuss the standards and provide educational material. Increased Neighborhood Parking Enforcement Currently, parking officers respond to complaints and conduct pro-active enforcement of parking violations in neighborhoods usually in the morning hours prior to addressing parking problems in other areas of the City. Existing parking officers work Monday through Saturday from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM. High enforcement demand in retail areas of the City limit the amount of time parking officers are available to patrol the neighborhoods, where violations are less frequent. Police Department SNAP employees conduct enforcement of residential parking district violations during dedicated parking enforcement shifts and on a continual basis as they are conducting their other duties. Staff proposes increasing dedicated parking enforcement in the neighborhoods by adding a full-time contract parking officer. Enforcement hours will be coordinated with SNAP deployment to provide expanded parking enforcement in neighborhoods during the daytime, nighttime and on weekends. WORK PROGRAM CONSTRAINTS AND LIMITATIONS Expanded outreach and stakeholder involvement will be necessary to fully develop elements of the proposed action plan, including revision of policies and acceptance of new practices. Code enforcement issues often deal with inspecting private property areas. Inspection of properties is actually considered a form of"Search"as defined by the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution of the United States. Any proposed changes to the program will need to be reviewed prior to implementation to ensure they are legally defensible. A public participation, communication and education campaign will need to be a part of the action plan. The Neighborhood Services Team will interface with the community and meet to address the issues that require interdepartmental coordination. Staff from various departments will be needed to work with the Neighborhood Services Team to finalize policy and program recommendations and decisions. Increasing NEO and parking enforcement in the neighborhoods is likely to generate complaints from neighborhood residents who have not been subject to regular enforcement of these types of violations. Some residents may feel the enforcement is inappropriate and intrusive. Recently, staff has received complaints regarding the new trash can regulations for this reason. The revenue generated by the additional parking officer is not likely to off-set the cost of the new position and associated equipment. Generally,parking violations in neighborhoods are less frequent and sporadic than in retail 23 B1-30 ATTACHMENT FTWOTI-Wrillre • • MLM NEIGHBORHOOD WELLNESS areas and once citations are issued, compliance by residents tends to be relatively high. In addition, parking violations and associated revenue has declined in recent years due to increases fine amounts driven by State surcharges on parking citations. Increased enforcement of code violations will increase the workload of the City Attorney's office in prosecuting violations that are not corrected after a warning is issued. Staff will examine the processes involved to determine if any streamlining is possible. Reduction in resources of the City Attorney's could result in delayed prosecution of violations. STAKEHOLDERS External stakeholders include neighborhood associations and groups, neighborhood residents, property owners and managers, and student groups. Internal stakeholders include the City departments of Community Development, Police, Administration, Parks and Recreation, Public Works, Utilities and the City Attorney's Office. ACTION PLAN Task Date 1. Hire additional SNAP and Parking Enforcement Officer staff to enforce existing code enforcement Nov.2011 policies and neighborhood parking violations. 2. Review"best practices"in use in other jurisdictions regarding neighborhood wellness policies and Nov. 2011 procedures. 3. Review City-wide policies,procedures and practices related to code enforcement and neighborhood Nov. 2011 wellness. 4. Meet with community stakeholders for feedback regarding existing policies and procedures and Dec.2011 . desired changes. 5. Develop staff recommendations regarding code enforcement policy changes&streamlined internal Feb.2012 &external reporting and response processes. 6. Update and receive direction from Council March.2012 7. Implement changes to policies and practices July.2012 8. Cross-train City employees to pro-actively observe and report code violations. July 2012 9. Monitor progress and solicit feedback from external stakeholders Ongoing 10. Database enhancements Sept.2012 KEY WORK PROGRAM ASSUMPTIONS The action plan relies on feedback from the community groups. Staff will utilize this feedback to revise existing policies and procedures as needed to achieve the desired results. Staff believes there is existing capacity in the, participating departments to advance this goal by improving coordination, communication and involvement of other City employees in neighborhood wellness efforts, and by modifying existing policies related to violation enforcement. However, should there be a decrease in personnel 24 B1-31 ATTACHMEI NEIGHBORHOOD WELLNESS related to these programs; the ability to fulfill this goal could be impacted. In addition, some policy issues may overlap with other legal rights of property owners and residents so staff will need to manage expectations and provide feedback at appropriate times in order to help ensure any policy changes are allowable under the law. The ability of increased enforcement hours dedicated to NEO violations is dependant on the Police Department's ability to hire and retain approximately three additional SNAP employees to staff the additional enforcement shifts. Staff will coordinate with Cal Poly and Cuesta College to enhance recruitment efforts. Shift hours will be flexible to accommodate the changing schedules of student employees. Existing Police Department vehicles can be used by the additional staff.assuming the Police Department fleet is not reduced. A vehicle from the Building Division will be transferred to the Parking Division to accommodate the added employee. RESPONSIBLE DEPARTMENT The Chief Building Official will maintain overall responsibility for ensuring the objectives of the work program are met. The Neighborhood Services Manager will be responsible for organizing appropriate outreach to external stakeholders and involving the Neighborhood Services Team in this effort.The Neighborhood Services Team will be involved in the policy review, best practices research, and development of recommendations for policy and procedural improvements. FINANCIAL AND STAFF RESOURCES REQUIRED TO ACHIEVE THE GOAL Cost Summa Operaiing Programs Capital Improvement Plan 2011-12 2012-13 201142 2012-13 Parking officer(contract) 43;500 73,100 Contract services-parking citation processing 6,700 9,100 Parking uniform and printing 3,700 5,000 Temp staffing(SNAP) 10,400 14,400 SNAP uniforms and equipment 1,000 1,000 Total $65;300 $101,600 Funding Sources Operating Progra187,200 Ca ital I rovement Plan 2011-12 2011-12 2012-13 Parking Fund 53,900 General Fund 11,400 Total $65,300 $ $0 $0 GENERAL FUND REVENUE POTENTIAL Parking citations and other administrative fines are currently levied against violators. Because very few violations are corrected with a.citation and fine, the expected general hand revenue potential will be minimal. Revenue from parking citations generated by SNAP employees is transferred from the Parking Fund to the General Fund which will help off-set some of the cost of the additional SNAP employees. OUTCOME—FINAL WORK PRODUCT 25 B1-32 ATTACHMEN e rMWOMMIrre • A NEIGHBORHOOD WELLNESS Developing a citywide,coordinated program of pro-active neighborhood code enforcement program and focus on overall neighborhood wellness, supported by appropriate policies, will help address conditions in the neighborhoods that can lead to blight, disorder, and crime. 26 B1-33