Body of News Release
UPDATE 5/5/26: The Board received the presentation; no action was needed.
Marin County, CA – Whenever there are violations of the local zoning code, building code, or health code on private property in Marin County, reporting it to the proper authority is the right thing to do for the sake of health and safety.
On May 5, that proper authority – the Marin County Community Development Agency (CDA) – plans to appear at the Board of Supervisors meeting to propose adjustments to its code enforcement policies. Following a series of local public workshops last year, CDA seeks to update its framework to boost consistency and clarity for all stakeholders. It is also proposing changes to achieve better results, leading to safer and more livable communities.
“What we hear from communities is that they want people to comply with codes,” said CDA Director Sarah Jones. “What we hear from property owners is that they want workable paths to get to compliance. We’re making concerted efforts to engage the community, factor in feedback, and alter our policy to align it better with local sentiment and our Board’s priorities. The changes we’re proposing are meant to make code enforcement simple, sustainable, and doable.”
CDA’s proposal is to simplify the process into fundamental steps: receive the complaint; confirm whether there is a code violation; give adequate opportunity to fix the violation; move to active enforcement with penalties if not fixed; and take steps to abate the violation if necessary. Details of each step are in the staff report.
Code violation complaints typically are sent to CDA through the website, by email, or by phone. The newest method is to use a website and web application called FixItMarin, which debuted earlier this year. It’s really easy to use.
At the May 5 meeting, CDA is asking the Board to accept its report and provide more feedback on next steps. The meeting begins at 9 AM in the Board chamber, Suite 330, at the Marin County Civic Center, 3501 Civic Center Drive, San Rafael. Meetings are livestreamed on the County website and aired on Channel 27 for Comcast and AT&T U-Verse subscribers. Meeting participation guidelines are provided on the County website as well.