Welcome to Code Enforcement
The Code Enforcement Division provides services to the citizens of the City of Fresno in order to enhance quality of life and improve the neighborhoods where we live, shop, play, and work. We are committed to proudly serving our community in a safe, professional, and effective manner.
Neighborhood Guide
What We Do:
PUBLIC NUISANCE Public Nuisances affect everyone and are typically visual blight issues that cheapen our quality of life, standard of living, and lower property values.
- Abandoned Vehicle Abatement
The City of Fresno participates in the California Abandoned Vehicle Service Authority (AVSA). Through this effort, the City has improved the appearance of neighborhoods by removing more than 2,000 blighted and unsafe vehicles between July 1, 2005, and June 30, 2006.
- Illegal Dumping
Illegal dumping continues to be a challenge and is one of the most frequent complaints from citizens. The Code Enforcement Division, in collaboration with the State of California, Fresno PD, and local authorities have identified and successfully prosecuted several illegal dumpers. This has resulted in curtailing illegal dumping especially where it predominantly occurs. The Division’s efforts will continue to prosecute persons responsible for illegal dumping throughout the City.
- Abandoned Shopping Carts
Abandoned shopping carts in the city endanger public health and safety, interfere with traffic, and create a public nuisance and blight. Code Enforcement is tasked with enforcing Ordinance 2006-143 of the FMC, the Abandoned Shopping Cart Ordinance, which is intended to insure that measures are taken by the owners of shopping carts to prevent their removal from the premises, to make removal of the cart a violation of the FMC, and to facilitate the retrieval of abandoned shopping carts.
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Weed Abatement
Each year, prior to the fire season, Code Enforcement notifies property owners of vacant lots and vacant buildings of the requirements for year round maintenance of their properties. The Division conducts proactive and systematic inspection; beginning in April and continues through September each year, of more than 5,000 properties. Inspectors ensure compliance and, if necessary, direct City contractors to abate any requirements not completed. Property owners have been very responsible and each year brings an increase in compliance.
ZONING
Zoning issues vary from simple fence violations that can detract from quality of life to complex high risk developments that can threaten Life, Health, and Safety.
Code Enforcement’s Conditional Use Permit Strike Team (CUP) inspects high risk land uses that pose a significant threat to Life, Health, and Safety. The team works collaboratively with County and State Officials to ensure compliance at recycling facilities; implementing new laws that were enacted to protect Life, Health, Safety, and the Environment.
The Code Enforcement Division has removed tens of thousands of abandoned tires from City streets and alleys that would have contributed to urban blight and the threat of becoming breading grounds for West Nile Virus. The program is administered with the help of a State sponsored Waste Tire Clean-Up Grant. This program, which began in 2003, removes an average of 1,500 waste tires per month.
HOUSING
Substandard buildings and structures pose significant threats to Life, Health, and Safety for occupants as well as the public. All systems: structural, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, zoning, public nuisance, and habitability are required to meet minimum standards.
- Dangerous Building Abatement (DBO)
The DBO Team focuses on seriously dilapidated structures and works with property owners to return the properties to a viable use. Although high emphasis is placed on rehabilitation of structures; some are just not feasible to rehab, and require demolition. Many of the more difficult structures are large and complex buildings, requiring a lengthy process to resolve.
- Vacant Building Abatement (VBO)
The VBO Team inspects and monitors over 500 vacant buildings throughout the City ensuring that property owners comply with City standards. Many of these residential, commercial, and industrial vacant buildings would significantly contribute to blight if the team did not require property owners to actively maintain, monitor, and keep them secure.
- Housing Standards for Multi-family Units
Code’s Housing Standards Team has an aggressive work plan in place to address the more than 53,000 rental units throughout the City of Fresno. A majority of these rental units are over 50 years old and addressing them in a timely and systematic manner is essential in order to protect the Life, Health and Safety of our City’s residents.