This chapter is adopted pursuant to the powers provisions contained in Section 3 of the Santa Rosa City Charter authorizing that the City shall have and may exercise all powers necessary or appropriate to a municipal corporation and the general welfare of its inhabitants which are not prohibited by the Constitution. It is also adopted pursuant to the municipal affairs provision contained in Section 51 of the Charter.
(Ord. 3879 § 1, 2008)
If a responsible party who has been issued an initial notice of violation does not correct the violation before the prescribed deadline, an Enforcement Officer or other City employee is authorized to issue this person an administrative citation.
(A) 
An administrative citation:
(1) 
Imposes a penalty as set forth in the fee schedule, due within 21 days of issuance of the citation;
(2) 
Requires correction of the violation be completed within a time certain;
(3) 
Sets forth appeal rights.
(B) 
The citation shall describe the unlawful condition, the code section(s) violated, and if applicable, corrections to bring the property into compliance.
(C) 
If a responsible party does not correct the violation within the prescribed time set forth in the first administrative citation, a second administrative citation may be issued for an increased penalty amount. If the violation is not corrected in the prescribed time as set forth in the second citation, a third citation may be issued for up to the highest prescribed penalty according to the fee schedule. Continued violations not corrected within the time prescribed in the third (and any subsequent administrative citations) shall result in the issuance of the citation with a penalty of the highest prescribed amount. A new administrative citation may be issued each day the violation continues to exist in any 12 consecutive month period.
(D) 
More than one person can be issued an administrative citation, as long as each person cited is a "responsible person" as defined in Section 1-30.030(B), was previously given a notice of violation, and failed to correct the violation within the time prescribed in the notice of violation. However, the City shall not collect on double citations for the same violation. If multiple responsible parties are issued a citation for the same violation then each party shall be jointly and severally liable for the penalty.
(Ord. 3879 § 1, 2008)
(A) 
An administrative citation shall describe appeal rights for the responsible party(s). A party may request a preliminary review with the department head or designee of the issuing enforcement officer, and the right to request an administrative hearing. A preliminary review shall be an informal review by the department head or designee to validate or dismiss a notice of violation that has been issued.
(B) 
A request for a preliminary review shall be made in writing within seven days of issuance. This request shall be submitted to the Code Enforcement Officer who issued the administrative citation and must include grounds on which a responsible party relies. The request must include any information that the responsible party desires considered in the preliminary review.
(C) 
The request for a preliminary review shall not extend any compliance time period, the due date of payment of any penalty, or the deadline to request an administrative hearing.
(D) 
The preliminary review shall be conducted by the "preliminary review authority" i.e., department head or designee. The preliminary review authority shall review the administrative citation, the written request for a preliminary review, and any evidence the responsible party may have submitted with the request for a preliminary review.
(E) 
If the preliminary review authority concludes that no code violation occurred or that the responsible party is not responsible for the violation, then the department head shall dismiss the citation.
(F) 
The City must notify the responsible party, in writing by mail, of the results of the preliminary review within seven calendar days of filing the written request for a preliminary review. This review shall not be a final decision and is not subject to judicial review.
(G) 
A responsible party must pay the penalty no later than 21 calendar days from the issuance of the administrative citation. A responsible party may request a waiver of the penalty deposit. Such request must be made at the time of the request for a preliminary review. The responsible party bears the burden to establish by substantial evidence, by a declaration under penalty of perjury, that he or she is unable to pay the penalty. The preliminary review authority, at the time of ruling on the administrative citation, must also rule whether the responsible party qualifies for waiver of the penalty deposit.
(Ord. 3879 § 1, 2008)
(A) 
A responsible party shall have the right to request an administrative citation hearing. This hearing shall be a limited evidentiary hearing before the Hearing Officer.
(B) 
A request for an administrative citation hearing must be filed within 20 calendar days of the issuance of the first administrative citation. A request for an administrative citation hearing must be made in writing to the Community Development Director. A request must include grounds on which a responsible party(s) relies. Unless waived at the preliminary review, or the penalty has already been paid, the request must be accompanied by payment of the penalty amount. No hearing to contest an administrative citation shall be held unless the penalty has been paid in advance or a deposit waiver has been issued.
(C) 
Failure to request an administrative hearing before the deadline, or failure to comply with all of the requirements of requesting an administrative citation hearing, shall constitute an abandonment of a request and a failure to exhaust administrative remedies. Either the responsible party or the City may request, in advance of the hearing and upon good cause provided to the Hearing Officer, one hearing continuance.
(D) 
The administrative citation hearing shall be conducted by the Hearing Officer.
(E) 
The hearing procedures shall be as follows:
(1) 
An administrative citation and any submitted reports prepared by an enforcement officer must be accepted by the Hearing Officer as prima facie evidence of the facts stated in them.
(2) 
The Hearing Officer must allow a responsible party an opportunity to testify at the hearing and present evidence concerning the code violation specified in the administrative citation. The Hearing Officer may request additional information or evidence from a responsible party prior to issuing a decision.
(3) 
An Enforcement Officer or any other representative of the City may attend the hearing.
(4) 
A hearing need not be conducted in accordance with the technical rules of evidence and is intended to be informal in nature. Irrelevant or unduly repetitious evidence shall be excluded.
(5) 
After considering all testimony and evidence, the Hearing Officer shall issue a written decision to affirm or dismiss the administrative citation. The Hearing Officer may impose conditions and deadlines to correct the violations.
The Hearing Officer may assess reasonable administrative costs incurred by the City. The decision shall include the Hearing Officer's findings and information on the right to seek judicial review of the decision. If the Hearing Officer determines that the administrative citation should be affirmed, the penalty amount on deposit with the City shall be retained by the City.
(6) 
The decision shall be served in writing by mail, on each party, and shall be considered final on the date served.
(Ord. 3879 § 1, 2008)
A responsible party may seek judicial review of the Hearing Officer's decision, pursuant to Government Code Section 53069.4, within 20 calendar days after service of the decision.
(Ord. 3879 § 1, 2008)
(A) 
The penalty for code violations imposed by this chapter shall be set forth in a schedule of penalties established by resolution of the Santa Rosa City Council.
(B) 
The penalty shall be paid to the City of Santa Rosa within 21 days from the date of the administrative citation order.
(C) 
Payment of a penalty under this chapter shall not excuse or discharge any continuation or repeated occurrence of the code violation that is the subject of the administrative notice and order.
(Ord. 3879 § 1, 2008)
Any person who fails to pay to the City, on or before the due date, any administrative fine imposed pursuant to the provisions of this article, shall be liable for payment of the applicable late payment charges as follows:
(A) 
Payments received within 30 days after the due date, a late fee in the amount of 50 percent of administrative fine is due;
(B) 
For payments received more than 30 days after the due date, a late fee in the amount of 50 percent of administrative fine is due, plus an additional 10 percent of the overdue administrative fine for each month the payment is overdue. The maximum late fee shall be 100 percent of the overdue administrative fine.
(Ord. 3879 § 1, 2008; Ord. 3920 § 2, 2009)