(a) The person responsible for the violation must either pay the scheduled civil fine to the Community Development Department or request a conference with the City Attorney’s office within 25 calendar days after issuance of the administrative citation. This administrative conference will be with the City Attorney or an Associate City Attorney who has reviewed the underlying facts of the violation, the history of prior violations, the impact of the violation on adjoining properties and any information provided by the person responsible for the violation. Based upon those facts, the City Attorney or Associate City Attorney will determine if any settlement options may, consistent with the public health, welfare and safety, be offered to the person responsible for the violation as an alternative to the payment of the entire amount of the fine. This conference shall take place within 20 calendar days of the City Attorney’s office receiving the request. If a settlement cannot be reached at the administrative conference, the person responsible for the violation may, at the conclusion of the conference, either pay the fine or request a hearing before an independent hearing officer. A request for an administrative conference must be made to the City Attorney’s office by mail or telephone. Only the City Attorney or an Associate City Attorney has authority to dismiss the citation or waive the scheduled civil fine or both during the administrative conference. Failure to pay the fine or request an administrative conference within 25 calendar days of the date of the citation shall be deemed an admission of the charges set forth therein.
(b) The person responsible for the violation may not request a hearing before an independent hearing officer without first having timely requested an administrative conference with the City Attorney’s office. Failure to attend the administrative conference as scheduled shall be deemed an admission of the charges set forth in the administrative citation or nuisance service call fee notice.
(c) If the person responsible for the violation requests an administrative conference and the civil fine or nuisance service call fee is for the same violation at the same property, which was the subject of a prior hearing before a hearing officer or administrative law judge within the last 12 months, the person responsible for the violation will only have the option of either paying the fine or scheduling an administrative conference with the City Attorney’s office. The person responsible for the violation may not request a hearing before an independent hearing officer.
(Ord. 99-32, passed 10-4-1999; Ord. 2000-1, passed 1-3-2000; Ord. 2007-36, passed 10-22-2007; Ord. 2011-19, passed 8-15-2011; Ord. 2016-24, passed 10-24-2016)