LAKEPORT >> Judging by the numbers, it has been a busy fall for the Lake County Code Enforcement Department.
In a presentation regarding its activities over the past six months presented to the Lake County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, Code Enforcement and Community Development Director Richard Coel reported the building and safety division of the Code Enforcement Department has collected a little more than $50,000 in fines and late permit investigation fees since July. In addition, approximately $90,000 in outstanding abatement liens “have or will be recorded this year.” The total included the abatement lien hearings the supervisors held prior to the update.
Since January, 445 complaints have been investigated, resulting in 287 cases being verified and opened, Coel said. Of those 287 cases, 71 have been resolved through voluntary compliance and 19 being abated.
“These numbers do not include neighborhood marijuana cultivation efforts performed by the Community Development Department,” Coel added.
Chief Building Official Michael Lockett has served 34 warrants for residential marijuana grow sites and has referred 41 complaints to the Lake County Sheriff”s Office Narcotics Task Force.
According to Lockett voluntary compliance has been effective with “125 residential marijuana grow sites between August and October.”
After a summer marked by complaints and lawsuits related to alleged county eradication operations, the report shed light on a longstanding cooperative effort, both for grow sites and for other properties.
“We”re doing everything we can to solicit voluntary compliance and working with property owners,” Coel said. “As long as there is significant progress, we will work with them.”
The biggest challenge for the upcoming year, according to Coel, is likely to be “sheer volume.”
“Each day we get calls and emails asking why we haven”t abated properties,” Coel said. “The short answer is we haven”t had time.”
Other challenges facing the department include a slow return on outstanding liens, which has caused abatement funds to be spent quickly; delays in filling the two vacant positions, one for a code enforcement officer and another for a program supervisor; illegal dumping of trash and problems that lend themselves to no practical form of cost recovery.
The subject of recovering costs was covered in some detail. The abatement lein hearings held by the county before the update were all approved by the board and totaled nearly $53,000.
Still, there are unexpected challenges. Unpermitted grading continues, which is costly to abate; construction without permits and RV occupancy, most of which is associated with commercial marijuana cultivation and abandoned recreational vehicles along roadsides have proven to be challenges to the department, Coel said.
In the coming months, Coel said the focus of the department will include filling the vacant positions, continuing education outreach to property owners and tenants, as well as continuing the reduction of blight along the scenic corridor and community growth boundaries.
“There are two purposes for this program, health and safety and economy,” Coel said.
Contact J. W. Burch, IV at 900-2022.
