Residents press Review Board to restore quarterly code‑enforcement reports

During public expression the board heard repeated requests to reinstate the prior practice of a quarterly code‑enforcement report to the Mendocino Historical Review Board. Several commenters said the report had been useful for volunteers to track active complaints and to act on local enforcement priorities.

Planner Jesse Waldman explained that a 2023 Board of Supervisors memorandum directed Planning & Building Services to prioritize fieldwork and that routine reporting to the Review Board ceased after that direction. Waldman provided practical contact information for code enforcement and said staff would check whether complaint lists are publicly available on the county website and would follow up. "This is a complaint driven county," Waldman said, adding that staff will locate the relevant website links and confirm whether prior anonymized reports remain available.

Public commenters including Kelly Graham said the prior quarterly reports provided context for the board’s decisions and called the removal of the reports a loss: "If you want your rules to be enforced, you need to harass the planning and building [staff] or the Board of Supervisors — you have no teeth." Board members discussed whether they could ask the Board of Supervisors to reinstate the reports and indicated they would explore making a formal request.

The exchange clarified roles: the Review Board reviews design and historical consistency, while code enforcement investigates violations and pursues administrative remedies. Staff committed to checking the online availability of complaint records and to pursuing a path for board access or a reinstated report if feasible.