Beaumont Wants To Clear Code Docket

The Beaumont City Council voted 4-0 Wednesday night to simplify the city’s administrative review of code violations.

City inspectors were authorized to obtain administrative warrants instead of warrants issued by a judge, and the city established a level of administrative appeal designed to keep cases from going to court.

Beaumont keeps the administrative fines levied by the city in such cases, while the county keeps fines levied by county courts.  But Beaumont Code Compliance Manager Keith Hightower said that eliminating bureaucracy and quicker correction of code violations were the goals of the ordinance, not increased city revenues.

“The amount of money generated by administrative fines for code violations is very small,” he said.  “Beaumont has had 6-8 appeals of citations a year.  This modification is an effort to take these cases off the docket.”

The new ordinance, Chapter 1.17 of the city code, creates an administrative warrant for inspection when a building inspector is refused entry instead of requiring a search warrant issued by a court; administrative warrants are allowed under the California Code of Civil Procedure.

Those cited can pay an administrative fine and make corrections or can request a hearing.  The new ordinance also has the option of a Supervisory Review, in which a supervisor looks over the citation issued by a code enforcement officer and works with the party cited in an informal setting.

“Supervisory review has been an effective strategy,” said Chief of Police Frank Coe.  “It helps us toward our goals of no court, of streamlining the process and of getting the problem cleaned up in the shortest time possible.”

City Councilwoman Nancy Gall expressed reservations about an administrative appeals board comprised of city employees.

“They would be very reluctant to rule against the city, for fear of being fired,” she said.

Other council members and city staff disagreed and said it would be possible to put together the unbiased and impartial appeals committee called for in the ordinance.

The design of the administrative appeals committee, which is under the jurisdiction of the city manager in the new ordinance, will be left to the council to decide after the new ordinance’s second reading.