(A) An administrative offense may be subject to a civil penalty not less than $20 nor shall it exceed $2,000. The City Council must adopt a schedule of civil penalties for offenses initiated by administrative citation. The City Council may adopt a schedule of fees to be paid to administrative hearing officers.
(B) Subsequent offenses. In the event a person or property owner is charged with a subsequent administrative offense within a 12-month period of paying an administrative penalty for the same or substantially similar offense, the subsequent administrative penalty may be doubled except as otherwise provided by resolution.
(C) Any person cited for an administrative offense must either pay the scheduled civil penalty within 30 days or request a hearing within ten days after citation issuance.
(D) Any person, tenant, or property owner cited for an administrative offense involving code or zoning violations upon real property must either pay the scheduled civil penalty within 30 days and bring the property into compliance within ten days or request a hearing within ten days after citation issuance.
(E) Payment of the civil penalty constitutes admission of the violation.
(F) If a civil penalty is not paid within the time specified, a lien will be placed upon the real property upon which the violation occurred. A lien may be assessed against the property in the form of a special assessment and collected in the same manner as taxes.
(G) A personal obligation may be collected by any appropriate legal means. The city may use traditional debt collection methods to collect the fine and any associated fees.
(H) A delinquent payment fee of 10% can be assessed for each 30-day period, or part thereof, that the fine remains unpaid after the due date.
(I) During the time the civil penalty remains unpaid, no city approval will be granted for a license, permit, or other city approval sought by the violator of for property under the violator's ownership or control.
(J) If the citation is not paid and the violations not corrected, a criminal citation may be issued as well.
(Ord. 300, passed 6-7-2022)