TO: Board of Supervisors
FROM: Brian Bordona, Director of Planning, Building & Environmental Services Department
REPORT BY: Akenya Robinson-Webb, Code Compliance Manager
SUBJECT: Code Compliance Division Annual Update — Fiscal Year 2025-26, and Follow-Up on Board Direction Regarding Property Compliance and Innocent Buyers
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RECOMMENDATION
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Receive a presentation on the Code Compliance Division’s Fiscal Year 2025-26 annual update, including an update on staff’s review of options to assist property owners who unknowingly acquire properties with pre-existing code violations, and provide direction regarding continued education and outreach efforts for prospective property buyers. (No Fiscal Impact)
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BACKGROUND
The County is committed to maintaining and improving the quality of life and safety in Napa County, and the Code Compliance Division (Division) supports that effort by working with property owners to promote compliance with State and local laws and regulations. This report provides the Board with an overview of the Division’s activities and notable accomplishments during Fiscal Year 2025-26.
During the June 2025 Code Compliance Annual Update, the Board asked staff to look into options for addressing situations in which an owner unknowingly purchases a property with pre-existing code violations. Staff has completed that review and recommends a combination of increased education and outreach to prospective buyers and continued monitoring of pending State legislation, rather than developing a separate County program at this time. This follow-up is discussed in Section 6 of this report.
In addition to following up on the Board’s direction regarding innocent buyer options, the Division continued to advance a broad range of proactive compliance, ordinance modernization, and operational efficiency initiatives during Fiscal Year 2025-26. The following sections highlight the Division’s progress in reducing its caseload backlog, addressing unpermitted constr...
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