San Luis Obispo County Grand Jury
• 2014-2015
Morro Bay Municipal Code Enforcement:
⚠️ Translation Notice: This content has been automatically translated. The original English text is the official version. Translation may contain errors.
⚠️ Este contenido ha sido traducido automáticamente. El texto original en inglés es la versión oficial. La traducción puede contener errores.
Findings and Recommendations 7 findings
F1
Morro Bay does not have a code enforcement officer.
Related Recommendations (1)
R2
Fund and hire a full-time municipal code enforcement officer.
F2
Municipal code enforcement in Morro Bay is complaint-driven.
No recommendations for this finding
F3
Complaint processing is distributed across multiple departments of the city government and therefore is a drain on city resources.
No recommendations for this finding
F4
Code enforcement targets only the violation at a specific location identified in a complaint resulting in the appearance of unfairness and inconsistency.
Related Recommendations (1)
R1
Establish a proactive managed code enforcement process.
F5
Comprehensive tracking of all complaints and code violations by Morro Bay does not exist.
Related Recommendations (1)
R3
Acquire, install and use a municipal code management software package to track all code violation complaints.
F6
Effective preventive actions or proactive management plans cannot be developed without comprehensive tracking.
Related Recommendations (2)
R1
Establish a proactive managed code enforcement process.
R3
Acquire, install and use a municipal code management software package to track all code violation complaints.
F7
City hall staff is unable to quickly and effectively provide responses to questions about the status of code violation complaints.
Related Recommendations (2)
R3
Acquire, install and use a municipal code management software package to track all code violation complaints.
R4
Train staff on use of the new system.
Conclusions 1
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CL1While Morro Bay officials provide a wide range of options for its residents to communicate with them, the effectiveness of these communications cannot be determined and so many options may lead to confusion. Efforts to address code violations via a complaint-driven process can create the impression that city personnel do not see problems unless reported. Submitted 5/5/15 4 While the current complaint-driven process may result in correction of a single violation, similar violations at other locations in the city are not identified and therefore not addressed. This results in inconsistent enforcement which can be perceived as unfair. Absent the existence of effective code enforcement tracking capabilities, comprehensive programs to ensure enforcement plans cannot be developed. The ability to track repeat municipal code violators is also limited. Perception is reality. The inability to effectively communicate the actions taken and resolutions of reported code violations creates the impression that no action was taken and increases frustration levels among Morro Bay residents. City officials agree that a focused municipal code enforcement process can: Allow department personnel to focus on their primary job Track code related application and licensing ensuring fees and penalties are collected Provide the capability for citywide enforcement compliance Provide the ability to track compliance and code violation complaint resolution
Agency Responses 2
Government agencies' official responses to this report's findings and recommendations. Click on a response to see the structured breakdown.