Council gives consensus on code revisions to protect inspectors and clarify enforcement; staff to draft ordinance language
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Summary
Council reviewed proposed code changes including a new obstruction offense to protect inspectors, court-ordered abatement code updates and parking/storage rules for construction equipment; council asked staff to refine language to target physical obstruction and to treat the obstruction violation as a civil offense.
City staff presented code revisions March 20 intended to give enforcement staff clearer tools and protect code inspectors in the field. Tim Bollinger and Deputy City Manager Rick Saint John led the discussion and recounted multiple recent incidents in which inspectors reported threats or physical interference while performing inspections.
Bollinger said other jurisdictions include prohibitions on obstructing inspectors and staff proposed adding a Glendale City Code provision to make it unlawful to physically obstruct or hinder an inspector from documenting violations or delivering notices. Council members discussed free-speech protections and asked staff to narrow the language. Vice Mayor Tomlachoff asked that the draft target "physically hinder or obstruct" to avoid criminalizing protected speech or heated verbal exchanges at the doorstep.
Council reached consensus on two points: (1) staff should add the word "physically" to clarify that the offense targets physical obstruction rather than verbal complaints, and (2) the offense should be treated as a civil violation rather than a criminal misdemeanor. Staff said they would draft ordinance language consistent with those directions.
Staff also proposed expanding a previously adopted "court-ordered abatement" mechanism (adopted May 2021) to cover code violations in revised chapters that changed during the city's Unified Development Code rewrite. Council gave consensus for the broader authority so the court-ordered abatement tool can apply across relevant code chapters where appropriate.
Finally, staff proposed clarifying parking and storage rules to explicitly prohibit parking or storing larger construction-related equipment in residential districts when those vehicles are visible from beyond the property boundary. Council asked for clarifications about exceptions and how the rule would apply to chain-link fences, gates and block walls; staff said the new language aims to make enforcement and prosecution clearer and that the change would not criminalize vehicles that are currently lawful.
Why it matters: Council will receive ordinance language that narrows an obstruction offense to physical interference, clarifies abatement authority for updated code chapters, and refines parking/storage restrictions to allow consistent enforcement while balancing small-business and homeowner considerations.
Ending: Staff will return with draft ordinance language reflecting the direction to (a) target physical obstruction and treat it as a civil violation, (b) extend court-ordered abatement across code chapters, and (c) add clarity to construction-equipment parking rules.
