The Code Compliance Officer ensures compliance with the City’s various land use codes and municipal code regulations.   This involves the prevention, detection, and investigation of violations of statutes or ordinances regulating public health and safety, public works, business activities, building standards, and land use adopted by and applicable within the City of Goleta. 

We rely on our residents to help identify possible code violations.  Some commonly identified violations include:

• Property maintenance issues
• Zoning and occupancy issues
• Unpermitted construction activities
• Prohibited dumping
• Graffiti on public and private properties
• Inoperative vehicles on private property
• Overgrown vegetation obstructing public rights-of-way and vision clearance
• Fences, walls, and hedges affecting vision clearance standards at driveways and intersections
• Prohibited and unpermitted signs on public and private properties
• Encroachments in the public right-of-way (sports equipment, building materials, containers)

The City of Goleta’s policy is to achieve voluntary compliance with reported and discovered code violations.  Reported violations are prioritized based on the severity of the issue. Those that present an imminent threat to the health and safety of people and the environment are the highest priority. Other violations involving building, land use and zoning issues that do not present an imminent threat are investigated in the order in which they are received and as resources allow.

It is the City of Goleta’s policy to attempt to resolve all complaints. However, the City recognizes that some violations may not be resolved to the reporting party’s complete satisfaction due to factors outside our control and alternative methods of enforcement may be explored.

In some cases, City code violations may also constitute violations of federal and/or state statutes, such as illicit discharges and stormwater regulations established by Regional Water Board and implemented by the Goleta Public Works Department. Another example would be performing building construction without first obtaining the required permits. In such cases, Building and Safety and Code Compliance staff shall address these types of violations directly and notify other federal and/or state regulatory, enforcement and licensing agencies of the violations. 

Many subdivisions and planned communities are subject to private, recorded covenants, conditions, and restrictions (CC&R’s). The City does not enforce private CC&R’s or civil disputes.

The City does not divulge reporting party information while a case is active. Any identifying information of a reporting party is kept confidential until the case has been closed and it has been specifically requested.

When the City receives a report of a violation the Code Compliance Officer will conduct an inspection in the sequence it is received unless it is an imminent threat to the health and safety of someone or the environment.  If the reported violation is confirmed, a Notice of Violation is issued to the property owner with details of the violation, options of how to correct the violation and a due date of when those corrections must be completed.

The Notice of Violation will address the violation on your property and inform you of the corrective action needed and the date to be corrected by. The time frame given to correct the violation may depend on the circumstances involved but may be no less than seven (7) days. Once the violation has been corrected, you will need to schedule an inspection with the Code Compliance Officer.

The City provides several opportunities for the property owner to address noted violations before administrative citations are issued.  The City is willing to consider extension requests for compliance based on reasonable grounds. The Code Compliance staff will issue two Notices of Violation letters in an effort to gain compliance before turning the matter over to the City Attorney’s Office which will issue the third Notice of Violation letter.  The timeframes for compliance are shortened with each Notice of Violation that is issued.

If, after receiving three Notices of Violation, the violations remain not corrected, the City will begin the Administrative Citation process. Each day that a violation occurs or continues to remain constitutes a continuing violation that is subject to a fine schedule as described in GMC 1.02.080. In addition, the City is entitled to seek cost recovery in the identification of violations and the issuance of Notice of Violation(s) and Administrative Citation(s).  The City hopes that property owners take the first Notice of Violation seriously and corrects the situation as soon as possible.

Yes.  The legal property owner is responsible for all current conditions on their property regardless if they or the previous owners created the violation(s).

Permit fees (Planning and Building) vary with different projects. City Staff will assist you in determining costs.

No. Garages, storage rooms, and similar rooms cannot be used as living, sleeping, or recreation rooms, even if only for short period, without approvals from Planning and Building & Safety.

• Changing your windows
• Remodeling kitchen or bathroom
• Stucco work, sandblasting
• Relocation of an existing water heater
• Alteration of electrical, plumbing, or mechanical fixtures
• Wall/ fencing over 6’ in height
• Room additions and patios
• Installation and/or replacement of water lines

Property owners are ultimately responsible for the condition and proper maintenance of their property.