DATE: June 30, 2026
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Paul Nerland, Chief Administrative Officer
SUBJECT: Code Enforcement Division Quarterly Update
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
Receive quarterly update on the Code Enforcement program.
REPORT
Your Board has requested quarterly updates on the progress of the Code Enforcement program.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
This item is to provide the Board an update on the quarterly progress of the Code Enforcement program. Alternatively, your Board may direct staff to modify the reporting format or adjust the frequency of future updates as deemed necessary
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions. Potential direction could create fiscal impacts and would be addressed in future Board Agenda Items.
DISCUSSION:
Since the implementation of the Board-approved enhancements to the Code Enforcement Program, the Division has continued to make measurable progress in reducing backlog, increasing case closures, improving cost recovery, and addressing community concerns.
The division continues to use the prioritization response process. Tier-one cases prioritize potential health and safety cases with an initial response time of 24-48 hours. Examples of these types of cases include hazardous conditions, dangerous buildings, open/vacant buildings, and fire damaged buildings. We are currently meeting this metric 72% of the time. The second-tier priorities require an initial response within three days and include, but not limited to, cases such as construction without permits, illegal dumping, illegal occupancy, unapproved structures, tall dry grass/weeds. Currently we are meeting this metric 59% of the time. The third-tier priorities require a three-to-five-day initial response and include, but not limited to, cases such as rubbish/junk, land use permit violations, abandoned/inoperable vehicles, zoning code violations, fence height issues, and sign violations. Currently we are meeting this metric 63% of the time.
From December 1, 2025, through May 31, 2026, the Division opened 402 new cases and closed 479 cases. Compared to the same period in 2024-2025, new cases increased by 18.2 percent, while total case closures decreased by 51 percent. Cases both opened and closed during the same reporting period increased from 95 in 2024-2025 to 195 in 2025-2026, representing a 105.3 percent increase. The Division also reduced its overall open case inventory from 2,494 cases to 1,704 cases, a reduction of 790 cases, or 31.7 percent, despite the continued increase in new case volume.
Code Enforcement Activity:
During the reporting period, staff issued 272 Notices of Violation, 139 Administrative Citations, and 33 Notice and Orders. Staff obtained two Abatement Warrants, initiated seven abatements, and completed six abatements to address ongoing violations affecting the health, safety, and welfare of County residents. The Division also continued to proactively identify and address potential health and safety concerns through follow-up inspections, monitoring vacant and unsecured structures, and coordination with partner agencies.
Recruitment and Training of Staff:
Currently, Code Enforcement only has one Officer vacancy, and we are in the process of filling that position. Code Enforcement Officer training has continued, and the division continues to evaluate and enhance training opportunities. All field personnel are members of the California Association of Code Enforcement Officers (CACEO); it is a statewide professional organization specialized training on code enforcement investigations, legal updates, officer safety, and best practices. CACEO also offers certification programs, annual conferences and regional training, and networking with other California code enforcement agencies.
Streamlining Processes:
On October 7, 2025, your Board adopted the proposed omnibus ordinance amendments for Chapters 1.13, 1.14, 1.16, 8.22, 11.44, 11.45, 15.04 and 15.32. As part of the implementation of Chapters 15.04, 15.32, 11.44, and 11.45, the Division has made significant progress in expanding services and improving responsiveness. In collaboration with the Department of Public Health, staff developed a Relocation Benefits Program to assist tenants displaced from residential properties due to hazardous substandard conditions resulting from a property owner's failure to maintain safe and habitable living conditions. The program provides a framework to support affected tenants while ensuring property owners are held accountable for necessary repairs.
In addition, the Division has improved response times for abandoned and inoperable vehicle complaints since assuming responsibility for enforcement of Chapters 11.44 and 11.45. By streamlining processes and assigning dedicated resources, staff have reduced the time required to investigate complaints and tag vehicles for removal, improving responsiveness to community concerns and helping address neighborhood blight more efficiently.
Cost Recovery:
The Division continues to make significant progress in recovering costs associated with enforcement activities and nuisance abatements. During the reporting period, three Special Assessments totaling $185,067 were issued, with $123,735 collected to date.
Since implementation of the cost recovery program, the County has issued a total of $353,660 in Special Assessments and recovered $208,032. Outstanding balances currently total $84,296 from 2025 assessments and $61,331 from 2026 assessments. Additionally, seven Cost Confirmation Hearings remain pending. These efforts help costs associated with enforcement and abatement activities are partially recovered from responsible property owners, reducing the financial burden on County taxpayers.
Data Collection and Program Monitoring:
The Division continues to evaluate and refine operational processes to improve efficiency, responsiveness, and service delivery. Staff continue to monitor workloads, response times, enforcement outcomes, and performance metrics to identify opportunities for improvement.
Staff appreciates and thanks your Board’s continued support of the Code Enforcement Division, including the approval of the Accela contract on May 12, 2026. The new system will provide enhanced case management, automated billing, mobile field capabilities, and improved performance monitoring, allowing staff to operate more efficiently and effectively Staff is scheduled to meet with the implementation team during the week of June 22, 2026, to initiate the project and begin planning for system configuration, data migration, and training. The project is currently in the initial planning phase. Staff anticipate receiving a more detailed implementation schedule and projected go-live date following the project kickoff meeting.
Statistics for December 1, 2025 - May 31 2026:
• Notice of Violations issued: 272
• Notices and Orders issued: 33
• Administrative Citations issued: 139
• Abatement warrants: 2
• Abatements initiated: 7
• Abatements completed: 6
• Special Assessments issued: 3
• Special Assessments collected: 2
• Special Assessments pending: 7
While staff have gained valuable experience since the last Board update, the Division remains in a transitional phase as staffing capacity, training, and operational processes continue to mature. Ongoing training and mentorship are still essential, particularly as newer staff build proficiency in complex code enforcement investigations, case documentation, and enforcement procedures. At the same time, Senior Code Enforcement Officers continue to balance the demands of managing complex, high-priority cases involving health and safety concerns while serving as mentors and trainers for less experienced staff. These responsibilities, combined with increasing case volume, after-hours response requirements, and weekend enforcement activities, continue to place significant demands on available resources.
As the Division continues to grow, improve operational efficiencies, and implement new technology solutions such as Accela, we will be better positioned to evaluate long-term staffing needs, workload distribution, resource requirements, reporting capabilities, and performance monitoring. Through ongoing programmatic and staffing evaluations, the Division has identified opportunities to modify its organizational structure to further enhance operational efficiency and support service delivery. The proposed organizational changes include the creation of two Code Enforcement Supervisor positions, which will strengthen day-to-day oversight, improve staff training and mentorship, and provide enhanced operational support for an expanding workforce. In addition, the proposed structure includes the addition of a Code Enforcement Officer position, which is expected to improve response times and case completion rates. Collectively, these changes will support continued program growth while achieving net budgetary savings. This new staffing model has been presented to your Board as a separate agenda item for consideration today, and we look forward to returning with future recommendations as implementation efforts progress and operational data become available.
These updates reflect the continued progress of the Code Enforcement Division since its transfer to the County Administrative Office; and achieving the goals established by your Board. Through increased staffing, expanded enforcement authority, enhanced cost recovery efforts, proactive community engagement, and continued collaboration with partner agencies, the Division has improved responsiveness and reduced its open case inventory while addressing a growing workload. Staff remain committed to providing responsive, effective, and professional code enforcement services that protect the health, safety, and welfare of Fresno County residents.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI #25, May 12, 2026
BAI #8, January 27, 2026
BAI #28, October 7, 2025
BAI #36, August 19, 2025
BAI #11, August 5, 2025
BAI #8, April 22, 2025
BAI #10, March 11, 2025
BAI #51, December 3, 2024
CAO ANALYST:
Fine Nai