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Council receives code compliance Q4 report, directs staff to analyze cost of a third officer amid noise and parking complaints
Summary
The Carpinteria City Council received the Code Compliance Division’s fourth-quarter report and directed staff to prepare cost and staffing data for reinstating a third code compliance officer amid repeated neighborhood complaints about noise, parking and encampments.
The Carpinteria City Council on Monday received the Code Compliance Division’s fourth-quarter report for 2024 and asked staff to provide research and budget estimates for reinstating a third code compliance officer.
Code Compliance Supervisor presented the report noting 123 cases opened in quarter 4, with parking, graffiti and animal services among the top categories. The report counted 57 inspections, 306 service requests that generated cases, 87 notices of violation issued, 47 vehicle tows, about 21 administrative citations, seven compliance orders and four site cleanups for homeless encampments during the quarter. Staff said their software improvements mean the office can now report time spent on cases more accurately, which showed increased time devoted to parking enforcement in 2024.
Multiple residents used the public-comment period during the code compliance item to press the council on longstanding neighborhood problems. Several speakers—including Steven Markison, Eileen Markison, Susan Allen and Marilyn Jenkins—said concentrated noise from outdoor live entertainment at Island Brewing Company (IBC) has repeatedly reached nearby homes, prompting frequent complaints. One resident said staff measurements allowed an inspector to “make out the lyrics” from songs on Third Street. Residents called for stronger, enforceable conditions so outdoor live music is not audible across Linden Avenue.
Other public commenters raised concerns about unleashed dogs on the bluffs, inconsistent follow-up to submitted complaints, and the presence of trash and encampments in sensitive habitat near Carpinteria Creek. Several speakers urged a more robust code enforcement presence and quicker follow-up on repeated complaints.
After public comment the council moved to receive and file the quarter 4 report and amended the motion to ask staff to include research and cost information about adding a third code compliance position; the motion passed on a voice vote. Staff said they can return with an estimate of average cost for a third position and include the request in upcoming budget discussions.
The council directed staff to continue outreach and enforcement in sensitive habitat areas and acknowledged the division’s limited staffing. The action will not immediately add headcount; it requires follow-up analysis and a budget decision later this year.
