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Yucaipa code enforcement reports spike in cases, ongoing mobile-home-park inspections
Summary
Code enforcement reported a spike in new cases in December and ongoing comprehensive inspections of mobile home parks; staff said inspections will continue and that officers check long-standing cases on 14-day cycles.
Trevor Benson, the city's code enforcement lead, summarized inspections and case activity for October through December at the Jan. 27 Yucaipa City Council meeting. Benson reported 69 new cases in October (19 resolved by month'end), 61 new cases in November (12 resolved) and 229 new cases in December (13 resolved). The top recurring violations were garbage/rubbish/combustibles, overgrown vegetation, inoperable vehicles, public right-of-way issues and unpermitted construction.
Benson said code enforcement performs both case generation (new complaints or observations) and inspection activity (ongoing follow-up on prior cases). He reported inspection totals for the period (for example, October: 252 inspections, 326 cases closed to date) and said citation fines received in October totaled $19,936, with smaller amounts reported in later months. Benson noted a series of comprehensive mobile home park inspections during the quarter; specific parks inspected included Knollwood, Bel Air, Carriage Trade Manor, Hitching Post, The Patrician and Valley Breeze, and officers found issues such as missing stairs, combustible storage under awnings and leaking plumbing fixtures.
The council asked whether the mobile home park inspections would continue. Benson said they will: "Yes, they'll continue... I'm currently negotiating to ramp up our mobile home park inspections," he said. He also described the change in department oversight: code enforcement transitioned from Development Services to Public Safety in November, which Benson said shifted the unit toward a more compliance- and community-oriented approach.
Why it matters: The December surge in new cases and the ongoing mobile home park inspections touch both resident safety and habitability. Council members praised the officers' efforts and acknowledged that the program can be challenging work that sometimes requires administrative fines to achieve compliance.
Follow up: Council requested confirmation whether property notices are sent prior to mobile home park inspections; Benson offered to report back.
