“ACHIEVING QUALITY OF LIFE AND COMMUNITY “

• To preserve the quality and value of public and private property.
• To eliminate conditions which threaten the life, health, safety and general welfare of the public.
• To maintain a quality standard of living for all who enjoy our local community.

DUTIES OF THE CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER:

• Receive, process, investigate and track reported and/or City observed violations of the City Municipal Code.
• Prosecute violations when confirmed.
• Coordinate with appropriate City departments and/or other agencies as is necessary to resolve an issue.

ENFORCEMENT PROCEDURES, TOOLS, ETC.:

• Conduct investigations.
• Issue administrative notices, citations, etcetera.
• Issue orders to stop work for construction/installations without building permits.
• Conduct City abatement when necessary.
• Obtain and implement inspection warrants when necessary.
• Apply civil penalties, permit revocation, criminal prosecution and/or civil injunction. 

WHEN CODE ENFORCEMENT APPLIES:

For conditions such as, but not limited to:

• Overgrown, and/or accumulations of vegetation
• Accumulations of trash, junk, debris, brush, lumber, furniture, tools, etcetera
• Discarded appliances
• Abandoned and/or broken equipment
• Graffiti 
• Autos, campers, trailers used for human habitation
• Violation of City zoning ordinances 
• Unauthorized and unpermitted signage
• Substandard housing 
• Unauthorized, unsafe and/or improper occupancy of buildings or property
• Construction and/or installations without a building permit 
• Deteriorated, dangerous and unsafe buildings
• Occupancy of substandard structures 
• Encroachments within a public right of way 
• Hazardous and/or unsanitary environmental conditions
  

WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE FILING AND INVESTIGATION REQUEST/ COMPLAINT:

• The Community Development Department will only respond to Code Enforcement requests pertaining to conditions which are addressed in the City Municipal Code, or as otherwise mandated by State of California.
• Response from the Community Development Department will only be for issues relevant to the enforcement responsibilities thereof, and when applicable, other issues will be referred to and addressed by other appropriate City departments or other agencies. 
• Not all issues of concern to the public may be of a nature which can or will be addressed by the Community Development Department. This will be determined at the time a request/complaint is filed or during the investigation process.
• The City will not participate in concerns and/or disputes which are of a private civil matter.
• If while conducting an onsite investigation, entry or access is denied or is otherswise not possible, no further action will be taken, and the case will be closed. The exception will be that if there is sufficient reason to believe that a life threatening or hazardous situation or other obvious violation exists. In such cases, the City will pursue the issue(s) as agressively as deemed appropriate. 
• All Code Enforcement investigation requests are confidential. 
  

HOW THE PUBLIC CAN HELP TO REDUCE THE NEED FOR CITY CODE ENFORCEMENT

Considering and doing the following will enable City Code Enforcement staff to focus on issues and concerns within their purview.

• Communicate (in writing) any and all concerns to the owner and/or occupant of the property, or any other party who may be responsible for, or who may be able to bring about a resolution to an issue. 
• Allow adequate time and opportunities for the responsible parties to respond and correct an issue.
• Do everything possible to bring about a resolution to an issue prior to contacting the CIty for assistance.
• If the subject of concern is something that you may have caused and may be responsible for resolving, e.g. removal of garbage, debris and other discarded items, damage to property, etc., please do your part to resolve the matter.
• Conflicts between you and an offending party is a private civil matter, and will not involve Code Enforcement intervention.
• If considering any changes regarding land use or construction, become familiar with and voluntarily comply with permit requirements and all applicable local, state, and federal regulations that may apply to your situation.
• Contact the City to obtain information regarding regulations related to zoning, land use, construction, encroachment in public right of ways, etcetera. Solutions and increased public understanding and awareness are often achieved by a phone call.
• Maintain all buildings and other structures in a safe, sanitary and structurally sound condition.
• Maintain all properties in a safe, sanitary and well kept condition.
• Store all trash and recycle containers out of public view from any street, and so as not to be offcensive to neighbors or the general public.

IF IT IS APPARENT THAT A RESOLUTION IS NOT YOUR RESPONSIBILITY OR IS BEYOND YOUR CONTROL, WE ARE AVAILABLE TO ASSIST YOU.


LIMITATIONS OF CITY CODE ENFORCEMENT

Although the City will assist in any way possible, City Code Enforcement staff cannot respond to the following:

• Imminent emergency situations that threaten human life, safety or property, and require immediate attention, CALL 911
• Conditions which are not specifically addressed in the City Municipal Code, or are otherwise mandated by the State of California.
• Issues of a private civil and/or otherwise personal nature.
• Violations of or situations involving covenants, conditions and restrictions (CC&Rs). 

HOW TO OBTAIN CODE ENFORCEMENT ASSISTANCE:

The City requires that all Investigation Requests are submitted by way of the City's Investigation Request form or online submittal. This can be accomplished in one of the following ways:

• Obtain and submit an Investigation Request form at City Hall. The form can be mailed upon request.
  
• Download the Code Enforcement Investigation Request form from the City's website. The form will download, and should open in Adobe Acrobat Reader (PDF). (Download Acrobat Reader free of charge). Fill out the form right on your screen then print, or, print blank form and complete by hand and submit to the Community Development Department.
  
• Submit a request electronically by way of the Online Code Enforcement Investigation Request form on the City's website.
  
  
  Download Code Enforcement Investigation Request form
  
  Online Code Enforcement Investigation Request Form
  

HOW TO CONTACT US:

City Code Enforcement staff are available during normal business hours, 8 am to 5 pm Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. Phone messages can be left on a 24 hour, seven day a week basis at (530) 274-4348.
Contact via email: steve@cityofgrassvalley.com   
If concerns or violations occur outside of these hours, and are considered to be of a nature that is urgent and cannot wait, please contact the Grass Valley Police Department at (530) 477-4600.