Complaints rise after Connect launch and CE audit, enforcement manager says

Enforcement Manager Holly Glassner told the Structural Pest Control Board on Feb. 25 that the enforcement unit has seen an increase in consumer complaint cases and citations, and that two procedural changes have driven much of the rise: the continuing-education (CE) audit and the ease of filing complaints through the Connect platform.

Glassner said the CE audit led to a spike in citations processed after the audit completed; she also reported that Connect’s intake allows complainants to upload documents and contact information, which reduces follow‑up and results in more complete complaints entering the system. That, she said, has increased the number of matters that require desk-level processing and, in some cases, field investigation.

To manage workload, Glassner described expanding desk investigations and mediation to resolve many complaints without immediate field deployment, and she said the enforcement unit is reviewing internal processes such as the ‘‘cite and find’’ desk and analyst workflows to improve efficiency. Glassner also reported that field investigator positions are filled and that case distribution remains concentrated in some southern counties, where wood-destroying‑organism (WDO) activity is seasonally higher.

Board members asked for additional breakdowns of complaint outcomes and the disposition of arrests and referrals; Glassner and staff said they could provide more granular analysis in future updates, including the typical path a complaint takes (desk resolution, field investigation, referral to specialist) and outcomes of referred arrest cases.