Sutter County supervisors reviewed a staff proposal Tuesday to expand code enforcement tools, including administrative fines of up to $1,000 per day per violation, recording unresolved violations against property and using special assessments to recover costs.
At the May 12 study session, Development Services Director Neal Hay said the county’s Code Enforcement Division handled 184 cases in 2025, issued more than 100 notices and orders and issued 15 administrative citations. The staff report also said about $115,000 remains outstanding in cannabis-related citations and about $360,000 in other administrative citations.
Hay’s presentation said staff reviewed Chapters 87 and 1300 of the Sutter County Code with the County Counsel’s Office and recommended a broader rewrite of the county’s enforcement framework. The proposals include a new due process ordinance, formal policies and procedures, compliance agreement contracts for complex cases and the ability to refer unpaid fines and fees for special tax assessments.
The presentation also outlined a proposed Community Restitution Account to help offset enforcement costs, plus a public outreach and re-notification campaign and the purchase of four handheld radios for field staff. The fiscal note said the study session itself has no additional General Fund impact and that the program is already included in the FY 2025-26 adopted budget.
The Board was not asked to take formal action at the study session, and the packet does not show a vote or timeline for adoption.
