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Pasco staff report large code-enforcement caseload and an estimated 800-case backlog
Summary
City staff said Pasco receives thousands of annual complaints and currently has two full-time code officers, leading to an estimated backlog near 800 cases; council discussed triage, reallocating staff and possible options to increase enforcement capacity.
City code-enforcement leaders told the council they are operating with reduced staffing while managing a steady multi-thousand annual complaint load, producing a sizable backlog.
Director Matson said the department once had four full-time code officers but now has two and an inspection-services manager; over the past several years Pasco received roughly 4,000–5,000 complaints annually. Inspection Services Manager Troy Hendren said the department is handling about 1,300 active cases now and estimated a backlog on the order of 800 cases.
Staff described prioritization by life-safety first (structural hazards, fire/life-safety issues), then council requests and other complaints. Matson and Hendren listed the top complaint types (weeds, garbage, RVs, unpermitted construction, rental habitability and mobile vendors) and said about 99% of complaints are anonymous via AskPasco, phone and email. Hendren described creative short-term solutions — redeploying staff on light duty for validation visits and using postcard outreach for neighborhood problems — while urging that additional permanent staffing would be the most durable route to reduce backlog.
Councilmembers debated options including hiring, folding code enforcement into the police department, or triaging non–life-safety complaints for slower timelines. Several councilmembers urged the city to explore adding two code officers and to use outreach and education tools to reduce complaint volume.
Next steps: staff will prepare options for resourcing (including potential budget requests for staffing) and continue triage practices; council members requested a follow-up with more exact backlog numbers.
