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Business owners and residents press council over code enforcement, favoritism claims and staffing
Summary
Multiple public commenters accused city management of inconsistent code enforcement, preferential treatment and retaliation; commenters urged the council to assign a dedicated code‑enforcement officer, standardize notice procedures and address an ongoing lawsuit alleged in public testimony.
Several Big Bear Lake business owners and residents used the July 9 public‑comment period to raise concerns about inconsistent code enforcement, alleged political interference and gaps in city code‑enforcement staffing.
Edgar Allanis, a local restaurant owner, said citations were sometimes addressed to landlords instead of tenants and said inconsistent notice and enforcement raised due‑process and First Amendment concerns. He said he filed complaints with the San Bernardino County civil grand jury and submitted records under the California Public Records Act. Allanis asked council to: send citations to the tenant/operator rather than landlords; hire a dedicated code‑enforcement officer; and stop what he described as retaliation through selective enforcement.
Lizbeth Ortega, a resident and restaurant worker, described material she said came from a lawsuit alleging that a city manager intervened in code decisions in 2022‑2023, that a long‑time code officer (identified in public comments as Jack Greenberg) pushed back against political pressure and that his position was later eliminated. Ortega said the pattern raised concerns about fairness and public trust.
Lisa Ortega (a different speaker) said she had met with Kelly Tinker and urged clearer outreach to small businesses before citations are issued, calling for education and consistent communication.
City officials did not take action during public comment. The city attorney reminded the audience that the council had met in closed session earlier in the evening on anticipated litigation and reported no reportable action. The city manager and other staff subsequently said they would follow up with individual commenters to address specific complaints and that enforcement practice emphasizes communication before punitive measures.
