Taft reviews municipal code changes as code enforcement reports dozens of cases closed since 2023

Valerie Escalante, outside counsel with Civica Law Group, told the Taft City Council on June 17 that updates to the Taft Municipal Code have given staff clearer authority and new tools to address nuisance and unsafe properties across the city.

Escalante said the code updates—undertaken after a council investment in June 2023—were intended to reflect recent federal and state court decisions about camping and habitation in vehicles and to streamline outdated provisions. “Since June of 2023, there were 40 formal code enforcement cases open,” Escalante said. “Of those 40, 30 of the cases were closed with compliance.” She added there are “hundreds of cases where no formal code case needed to even be opened” because staff resolved issues through proactive outreach.

The report, presented as a study session item, described the range of enforcement tools staff now uses: personal contact and “knock and talks,” stop-work notices for unpermitted construction, administrative citations with fines, consent inspections, court-authorized inspections, liens and receivership actions. Escalante and staff described several specific properties addressed under the revised code, including work the city took after a February 2023 fire at 405 Center Street, and abatements at properties on Center Street where owners were deceased, not local, or where the structures posed safety risks.

City staff said one receivership case resulted in a court-appointed receiver who stabilized and sold the property; the new owner has completed interior and exterior repairs. Escalante said the city followed the California Health and Safety Code procedures where applicable and that courts have approved receivership in at least one case presented to the council.

Council members and staff described the nuisance types targeted since the code updates: dilapidated structures, unsafe dwellings, illegal vending and personal property storage, accumulations of junk in alleys and underpasses, encampments, weed abatement needs, and vehicles parked on unimproved surfaces. Escalante said public works patrols and code enforcement conduct regular cleanups and follow processes intended to give occupants an opportunity to collect belongings before the city removes abandoned or hazardous materials.

Council member comments emphasized that enforcement takes time and due process. One council member noted the changes provide clearer authority to obtain compliance and to withstand legal challenges when citations or court actions are needed. Escalante also described ongoing staff training to implement procedures consistent with the revised code and to reduce city liability.

The presentation also covered vendor regulations: the council has adopted local rules requiring vendor permits and county food permits for food handling; the city continues to prohibit large food trucks on city streets and can only regulate vendors on city property. The council and staff clarified that activity in unincorporated areas falls under county jurisdiction and must be referred to Kern County.

Council members praised the code enforcement and public works teams for the volume of abatement and clean-up work, and asked for continued community reporting to trigger inspections. No formal action was required at the study session; the item was an informational presentation and update from outside counsel and staff.

The council moved next to the budget presentation after the study session concluded.