(a) This Section 39-1 shall govern the imposition, assessment, and collection of administrative penalties imposed pursuant to Sections 37, 38, and 63 of the Police Code; Sections 41.13, 283.1, 287, 288.1 and 600 of the Health Code; Sections 170, 173, 174, 174.2, 723, 723.5, 724.5, 794, and 1606 of the Public Works Code; and Section 22G.4 of the Administrative Code.
(b) The Board of Supervisors finds:
(1) That it is in the best interest of the City and its citizens to provide an alternative, administrative penalty mechanism for enforcement of the littering and nuisance violations covered by this section in addition to the existing enforcement mechanisms authorized under the California Penal Code; and
(2) That the administrative penalty scheme established by this section is not intended to be punitive in nature, but is instead intended to compensate the public for the injury and damage caused by the prohibited conduct. The administrative penalties authorized under this section are intended to be reasonable and not disproportionate to the damage or injury to the City and the public caused by the prohibited conduct.
(c) Administrative Citation. Where an officer or employee designated in Section 38 determines that there has been a violation of a local litter or nuisance law that authorizes imposition of an administrative penalty, the officer or employee may issue an administrative citation to the person and/or entity responsible for the violation. For purposes of this Section, an entity is responsible if an officer, employee or agent of the entity commits the violation. The citation shall inform the person or entity responsible of the date, time, place and nature of the violation and the amount of the proposed penalty, and shall state that the penalty is due and payable to the City Treasurer within 15 City business days from the date of the notice, if not contested within the time period specified. The citation shall also state that the person or entity responsible has the right, pursuant to Subsection (d), to request administrative review of the citing officer or employee's determination as to the violation and assessment of penalties, and shall set forth the procedure for requesting administrative review. The Director shall serve the administrative citation as follows:
1. Where there is a nexus between the violator and a specific property:
(A) One copy of the Notice shall be posted in a conspicuous place upon the building or property.
(B) One copy of the Notice shall be served upon each of the following:
(i) The person, if any, in real or apparent charge and control of the premises or property involved;
(ii) The owner of record.
Service required by subparagraph (B) may be made by personal service or by certified mail.
2. Where the issuing officer or employee is unable to ascertain a nexus between the violation and property within the City, a completed copy of the administrative citation may be served on the individual who has committed the violation by personal service or by certified mail.
3. For purposes of this Section, there is a nexus where activity on the property has caused, contributed to, or been a substantial factor in causing, the violation.
(d) Request for Hearing; Hearing.
(1) A person or entity that has been issued an administrative citation may request administrative review in order to contest the citation issued in accordance with this section. Administrative review shall be initiated by filing a request for administrative review with the Director of Public Works within 15 City business days from the date of the citation. Failure to request a hearing within the time specified in the citation shall be deemed an admission that the cited person or entity committed the violation identified in the administrative citation.
(2) Whenever administrative review is requested pursuant to this Section, the Director of Public Works shall, within five City business days of receipt of the request, notify the requestor of the date, time, and place of the administrative review hearing by certified mail. Such hearing shall be held no later than thirty (30) calendar days after the Director receives the request, unless time is extended by mutual agreement of the affected parties.
(3) The administrative review hearing shall be conducted by a neutral hearing of officer from outside the Department of Public Works and the department whose employee issued the citation, assigned by the Director of Administrative Services. The Director of Administrative Services may issue rules as needed to implement this requirement. The parties may present evidence and testimony to the hearing officer. All testimony shall be under oath. The hearing officer shall ensure that a record of the proceedings is maintained. The burden of proof to uphold the violation shall be on the City, but the administrative citation shall be prima facie evidence of the violation.
(4) The hearing officer shall issue a decision including a summary of the issues and the evidence presented, and findings and conclusions, within ten (10) calendar days of the conclusion of the hearing. The hearing officer may uphold the penalty imposed by the citation, reduce the penalty, or dismiss the citation. A copy of the decision shall be served by certified mail upon the person or entity contesting the violation. The decision shall be a final administrative determination. An aggrieved party may seek judicial review of the decision pursuant to California Code of Civil Procedure Sections 1094.5 and 1094.6.
(e) Payment and Collection of Penalty.
(1) Where a person or entity has not made a timely request for administrative review, the penalty shall be due and payable to the City Treasurer on or before 15 City business days from the date of issuance.
(2) Where a person or entity has made a timely request for administrative review, and the penalty has been upheld in whole or in part upon review, any administrative penalty imposed by the hearing officer shall be due and payable not later than ten City business days from the date of the notice of decision issued under subparagraph (d)(4).
(3) If a penalty due and payable under paragraphs (1) or (2) remains unpaid after the specified due date, the Director of Public Works shall send the violator written notice that the penalty is overdue. Penalties that remain unpaid 30 days after the due date shall be subject to a late payment penalty of ten percent (10%) plus interest at the rate of one percent (1%) per month on the outstanding balance, which shall be added to the penalty amounts from the date that payment is due. Persons and entities against whom administrative penalties are imposed shall also be liable for the costs and attorney's fees incurred by the City and County in bringing any civil action to enforce the provisions of this section, including obtaining a judgment for the amount of the administrative penalty and other costs and charges.
(4) Where there is a nexus between the violation and property in the City owned by the violator, the Director shall further inform the violator that if the amount due is not paid within 30 days from the date of the notice, the Director shall initiate proceedings to make the amount due and all additional authorized costs and charges, including attorneys fees, a lien on the property. Such liens shall be imposed in accordance with Chapter 10, Article XX of the Administrative Code.
(f) The revenues generated by penalties from an administrative citation issued pursuant to this Section may be expended only by the department that is responsible for issuing the administrative citation, except that each department other than Public Works that issues administrative citations pursuant to this Section shall reimburse the Department of Public Works for the costs incurred by the Department of Public Works in administering review of those citations issued by the other department. The revenues from administrative citations issued by Class 8280 Environmental Control Officers and 8282 Senior Environmental Control Officers may be expended exclusively by the Department of Public Works for the purpose of funding litter enforcement and abatement except where the use or expenditure of those revenues is specifically directed by law to another program within the Department of Public Works.
(Added by Ord. 87-03, File No. 030482, App. 5/9/2003; amended by Ord. 27-06, File No. 051142, App. 2/16/2006; Ord. 74-11, File No. 110280, App. 5/5/2011, Eff. 6/4/2011; Ord. 244-17, File No. 170599, App. 12/22/2017, Eff. 1/21/2018; Ord. 291-19, File No. 191033, App. 12/19/2019, Eff. 1/19/2020; Ord. 132-20, File No. 191283, App. 8/21/2020, Eff. 9/21/2020)
(Amended by Ord. 172-69, App. 5/21/69; Ord. 164-02, File No. 020783, App. 7/26/2002; Ord. 193-05, File No. 051027, App. 7/29/2005; repealed by Ord. 163-17
, , File No. 170443, App. 7/27/2017, Eff. 8/26/2017)
(Amended by Ord. 172-69, pp. 5/21/69; repealed by Ord. 163-17
, , File No. 170443, App. 7/27/2017, Eff. 8/26/2017)
(Amended by Ord. 172-69, App. 5/21/69; repealed by Ord. 163-17
, , File No. 170443, App. 7/27/2017, Eff. 8/26/2017)