Filing a Complaint
The code enforcement process can start in a few ways:
- City staff or other government agencies observe a violation.
- As part of a pro-active program, such as our Housing Inspection program.
- In response to a complaint by an individual.
- Please note that anonymous complaints will not be investigated. (Reporting party information is strictly confidential and is never released.
Whether you use the online form or the printed form, please provide us the following specific information:
- Contact information (name, address, phone number)
- The address of the property
- Detailed description of the situation
What Are The Follow-Up Procedures?
We respond to code enforcement complaints according to the impact of the violation on the community. Situations that appear to pose a serious risk to health and safety are given top priority; others are pursued in the order in which they are received.
For all types of code complaints, the first step in the follow-up procedure is personal contact by a City staff member to see if a code violation exists and to request compliance. If the individual responsible for the situation is not available or appears unwilling to voluntarily correct the code violation in a timely manner, a notice of violation or a citation may be issued. We may also take court action if the situation poses a significant risk to the community or if the individual has ignored previous notices/citations.
What Penalties Result From Code Violations?
In many cases, the individual responsible for the code violation is given the opportunity to voluntarily correct the situation and comply with current codes without a penalty. If the correction is not made, then the individual may be subject to fines and other penalties.