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ALTERNATIVES AND ANALYSIS Existing Code Enforcement Procedures County code enforcement staff receive and process hundreds of complaints a year regarding violations of county laws and ordinances. In addition to complaint response, staff proactively enforce codes, although the majority of code enforcement actions are complaint based. Under present enforcement procedures, if a violation is not resolved on the staff level, the matter is taken before the County Code Enforcement Board. Established in 1983, the Code Enforcement Board functions in accordance with Chapter 162, Florida Statutes, which sets forth guidelines for local government code enforcement. The Code Enforcement Board serves an important function, successfully resolving many violation cases. However, the average case processing time frame ranges from 60 to 120 days between the time a respondent is first notified and the time at which a daily fine could be imposed. Consequently, an uncooperative respondent could conceivably operate illegally for a number of months without being subject to penalties, resulting in an unfair advantage to the respondent compared to law-abiding citizens. Therefore, although existing code enforcement procedures are sufficient, the adoption of a citation ordinance would facilitate timely resolution of straight forward, easily remedied violations, thus improving the effectiveness of enforcement. Proposed Citation Ordinance The proposed ordinance consists of two main parts: general citation procedures and contracting citation procedures. These two procedures differ based on Florida statute requirements. To enact citation procedures, local governments must adhere to specific parameters set forth in Florida statutes. As such, there is* little opportunity to vary from the State's pre -defined procedures. General Citation Procedures The general citation procedures of the proposed ordinance are based on Section 162.21, F.S. The proposed ordinance would enable a designated code enforcement officer to issue a citation, similar to a traffic ticket, to a respondent for violating a county code requirement. However, as set forth in Section 162.21, F.S.,'a code enforcement officer is required to provide notice to a respondent and allow a reasonable time frame for the respondent to comply prior to issuing a citation. The notification time frame is not to exceed 30 days, and no prior notification is required if the violation "presents a serious threat to the public health, safety or welfare, or if the violation is irreparable or irreversible". Another provision of Section 162.21 enables a local government to adopt a "schedule of penalties" which specifies the amount of fine to be assessed for various types of violations. Consistent with the provisions of Section 162.21, staff has drafted the attached proposed resolution which contains recommended fine amounts and notification time frames for different violation types. 11 BOOK. APR 211992