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Lafayette’s new full-time code enforcement officer reports higher complaint volumes, gas leaf blower enforcement and requests field tools
Summary
Code Enforcement Officer Gerardo Jimenez told the council Lafayette saw hundreds of cases in 2024 and a rising number in 2025, with gas-powered leaf blowers the most frequent complaint. Jimenez requested mobile field tools and more public outreach as enforcement moves from education to citations.
Code Enforcement Officer Gerardo Jimenez, who began in March 2025, updated the Lafayette City Council on Sept. 22 about complaints, outcomes and recommendations from the code enforcement division.
By the numbers: Jimenez reported that in 2024 the city opened 692 code enforcement cases and closed 681 of them; for 2025 to date the department had 629 open cases. The most frequent complaint type in 2024 was gas-powered leaf blowers, with 486 complaints; for 2025 to date Jimenez reported 357 complaints on that topic. Unpermitted construction complaints rose in 2025 compared with 2024, which Jimenez attributed in part to recent ADU activity and renewed awareness of enforcement.
Enforcement approach and recommendations: Jimenez described the department’s progressive approach — courtesy notice, warning, notice of violation and potential referral to the city attorney for collection of administrative costs — and emphasized voluntary compliance is the preferred outcome. He requested two operational improvements: (1) updated permitting/enforcement software to streamline case management and (2) a field laptop so officers can complete reports without returning to the office.
Examples: Jimenez summarized several recent cases that required extensive staff time and multiple inspections but were ultimately resolved, including one long-standing site on Old Tunnel and an abandoned house on Miller. He said most residents work with code enforcement once the complaint process begins and thanked the community for proactive engagement.
Interagency coordination: Council members and Jimenez discussed how vegetation and fire-risk complaints intersect with ConFire (the Contra Costa Fire Protection District); Jimenez said ConFire sometimes refers vegetation complaints to code enforcement and that both agencies coordinate when necessary.
Ending: Council members praised the new full-time presence in code enforcement and encouraged continued outreach and user-friendly public information to reduce recurring problems.
