"Keeping Huntington Beach a Beautiful Place to Live, Work, and Play."

Mission

The mission of the Code Enforcement Program is to promote a healthy community environment through education and communication.

Purpose

The City of Huntington Beach is committed to maintaining and improving the quality of life throughout the community including residential neighborhoods and commercial and industrial areas.  To help achieve this goal, the City has adopted codes that ensure a safe and healthy environment.

Primary Functions

The Code Enforcement program enforces municipal codes pertaining to substandard housing, property maintenance and land-use in an effort to upgrade residential properties to the standards set forth in the Uniform Housing Code.  The program initiates community teamwork through public education, participation in Task Force groups and public cooperation.

Code Enforcement officers respond to citizen complaints submitted to the City, in addition to initiating proactive enforcement as appropriate.  On-site inspections and public education are major components of Code Enforcement's functions as well as collaboration with City departments, task force groups and outside agencies.

Other functions include:

• Working with business owners, Neighborhood Associations and home owners to resolve code enforcement issues.
• Facilitating issues involving neighborhood problems/issues to assist in achieving resolution.
• Empowering the community through self-help programs to resolve and prevent code enforcement issues.
• Educating the public regarding City Codes and Resolutions relative to property maintenance, abandoned vehicles, home businesses and Housing Code regulations.
• Administering fair, unbiased enforcement of Municipal Code violations and Zoning Regulations.

Division Staffing

The Code Enforcement Division is staffed by eleven personnel, including six (five full-time and one part-time) Code Enforcement Officers assigned to specific enforcement areas within the City, and two Senior Code Enforcement Officers who provides field support to the officers in addition to assistance on more challenging cases requiring specific expertise and extensive experience.

These eight officers have cumulatively over 100 years of code enforcement experience among them, and have achieved numerous certifications from professional organizations such as the Southern California Association of Code Enforcement Officers (SCACEO), the American Association of Code Enforcement (AACE), and the International Conference of Building Officials (ICBO).  This continued professional growth ensures they remain informed and aware of the most current enforcement techniques, regulations and legislation pertaining to Code Enforcement.

Code Enforcement Activity for 2007

In 2007, the Code Enforcement/Neighborhood Preservation Division continued its efforts in maintaining and improving the City’s quality of life through education, communication, and enforcement action. Throughout the year, the division opened 3,029 new cases, conducted 6058 inspections, and resolved 3,033 cases, with a voluntary compliance rate of 97.75%.