Report 2015-134 Recommendation 10 Responses

Report 2015-134: Residential Building Records: The Cities of San Rafael, Novato, and Pasadena Need to Strengthen the Implementation of Their Resale Record Programs (Release Date: March 2016)

Recommendation #10 To: San Rafael, City of

San Rafael should develop formal written procedures for staff to follow up on property owners' correction of violations. These procedures should identify the method in which staff document in the database the violations identified during inspections and their actions to bring the property into compliance. In addition, the procedures should identify where within the database these documents should be kept as well as identify the protocol for ensuring that repeat violations are corrected in a timely manner.

1-Year Agency Response

A code enforcement case is opened whenever violations are identified on a property within 10 days of completion of the report. All correspondence and phone communication is documented in the electronic record of the code case. Follow-up dates are set as triggers within the code case, and our designated CE officer (Lamonte) will follow up with a letter or phone call as appropriate. When the violations are resolved, the code case is closed, and the address "falls off" our active case list. As this case is always attached to the property record, repeat violations are readily apparent.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 1-Year Status: Fully Implemented

6-Month Agency Response

Procedures have been developed for City staff to implement follow-up and enforcement. The procedures will be submitted once finalized. Currently, all violations are followed up with a Notice and Order within 10 business days. Further, as discussed in the May 21, 2016 memorandum submitted to Myriam Czarniecki, enforcement for the backlog of violations for 2015 has been initiated and many cases have been resolved. We are now commencing with the enforcement of the 2014 backlog.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Partially Implemented

60-Day Agency Response

Procedures have been developed for City staff to implement follow-up and enforcement. The procedures will be submitted once finalized. Further, as discussed in the May 21, 2016 memorandum submitted to Myriam Czarniecki, enforcement for the backlog of violations for 2015 has been initiated and many cases have been resolved. We are now commencing with the enforcement of the 2014 backlog.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: Partially Implemented

Although the city has identified this recommendation as being fully implemented, the city has not finalized these procedures. We look forward to learning of the city's progress when it submits its six-month response.

All Recommendations in 2015-134

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.