Mariposa County CCAC forms ad hoc to rewrite code-compliance ordinances; names two members

The Mariposa County Code Compliance Advisory Committee voted unanimously to create an ad hoc committee to draft code-compliance ordinances and program documents and selected CCAC members Gabe Edwards and Floyd Davis as the committee’s CCAC representatives.

Joe Lynch, Mariposa County Administrative Officer, told the committee the Board of Supervisors had directed staff on July 1 to form the ad hoc and that county staff would support the drafting process. "They all agreed. So I thought I would come back today to talk to you all to see interest in being part of the ad hoc committee from the CCAC," Lynch said. He added a timeline goal: "by October 1, we should be complete."

Why it matters: committee members said the new ordinance and program documents are the foundation for consistent, legally defensible enforcement and public outreach. Several members pressed for Environmental Health involvement, arguing many recurring violations cross health and building rules (septic, rodents, sewage). "Environmental Health has state mandates, that has federal mandates," a CCAC member said during discussion, urging staff coordination. Lynch confirmed staff from building, planning and health services will participate as needed.

Discussion and direction: members debated ad hoc structure and schedule. Lynch said the ad hoc may include up to three CCAC members to satisfy Brown Act limits for advisory subgroups, and the ad hoc will set its own meeting cadence and report progress to the CCAC monthly. Danielle (from the board) noted ad hoc procedures differ from standing committees; later, public commenter Colleen cited Government Code 54952 and recommended following CCAC bylaws when forming the ad hoc.

Members also raised implementation questions the ad hoc will have to resolve, including enforcement mechanics, funding for abatement, liens, and appeals. Several CCAC members advocated waiving appeal fees for applicants while charging a reasonable fee for third-party appeals to deter frivolous filings; staff said fee schedules and waivers would be developed by county staff and, ultimately, adopted by the Board of Supervisors.

Related program work discussed at the meeting included a proposed abandoned-vehicle abatement (AVA) program tied to California CHP/DMV rules and potential DMV funding, and a draft workflow (to be refined) that staff can implement in the county’s Tyler Technologies case-management system. The committee asked that Bart Connor, the county’s code-compliance technician, provide regular case-status reports at future meetings and asked staff to demonstrate Tyler’s standard workflow in an upcoming session.

What the ad hoc will do next: staff will contact selected members to set the first meeting and provide background materials, including prior CCAC and Planning Commission joint recommendations and earlier step-by-step drafts. The ad hoc’s work will be used to craft the county’s Title 1/code section and to produce the supporting business-process documentation and public education materials required to implement any new enforcement program.

Members emphasized legal compliance. A CCAC member summarized the approach: modernize the code so enforcement is "legally defensible" and focused on abatement and remediation rather than punitive measures. The ad hoc’s recommendations will be returned to the CCAC and, after staff and Planning Commission review, forwarded to the Board of Supervisors for adoption.

Quotes used in this article are drawn directly from meeting remarks and attributed to speakers who spoke on the record during the meeting.