The City of Sacramento’s Code Liaison Program is helping resolve neighborhood blight and public nuisance complaints more quickly — often without requiring an in-person site visit.
Last fiscal year, the program closed more than 2,300 cases remotely, allowing code enforcement officers to focus on more serious violations involving unsafe, unhealthy or hazardous conditions.
The program gives residents and businesses an opportunity to voluntarily correct minor violations before a code enforcement officer visits the property or penalties are assessed.
“A Code Liaison is about providing and building a connection to community members and businesses to help them through a process of correcting compliance issues quickly and efficiently,” said Code and Housing Enforcement Chief Peter Lemos. “Our commitment is to promote a clean and safe city and the program assists this goal by streamlining the process and providing exceptional customer service.”
The program focuses on minor code violations such as visible junk and debris, overgrown weeds, graffiti, home auto repair and pest-related concerns.
Code Liaisons serve as a point of contact between residents and City staff, providing case updates and answering questions by phone, email and text. They work with homeowners and business owners to identify issues and explain how to resolve them.
When a potential violation is reported, a courtesy letter is sent to the property owner and/or tenant. Staff then follow up with the reporting party to confirm whether the issue has been corrected. Cases that are resolved are closed without further action. If the issue remains, a code enforcement officer conducts a site visit and proceeds through the standard enforcement process.
“Code Enforcement values Sacramento residents and understands the importance of helping community members and business owners navigate local regulations,” Lemos said. “Since the program launched in 2016, one of its primary goals has been increasing voluntary compliance.”
Learn more about the Code Liaison Program and neighborhood code enforcement on the City’s website. Residents can report code violations through 311 online or by phone.