Stronger Code Enforcement Coming to Los Gatos

Blighted conditions in town—which are few—but include vacant lots, overgrown weeds, dilapidated buildings, missing or broken windows and screens, inadequately maintained properties and inoperable vehicles will be even more far and few in Los Gatos.

The Los Gatos Town Council is expected tonight to authorize Town Manager Greg Larson to hire CSG Consultants, Inc. to provide much-needed part-time code enforcement services for the town at a cost of $40,000.

The town has been administering code enforcement through its Community Development Department, with some assistance from the Los Gatos/Monte Sereno Police Department and the Parks and Public Works Department.

The town's full-time code-enforcement officer was eliminated in 2008 due to budget constraints with the duties distributed to a variety of staff, including building inspectors, planners, the town attorney's office and the building official, according to a staff report.

The program, which was reinstated in December of 2012, has been operating on a reactive basis to community complaints, the report stated.

The original plan was to use temporary part-time in house staff to help perform code compliance services.

From December of 2012 through June 30 of 2013, the town contracted with CSG Consultants, Inc. to help administer the program. The company is being praised by town staff for helping the town address code issues that have not received the proper amount of attention over the last several years.

Additionally, calls and concerns are now being responded to in a timelier manner, the report stated.

"CSG has been very prompt in resolving and closing Town Council and town manager referrals as well as following up on cases that are ongoing and take
some time to resolve," the report said.

This agreement expected to be approved tonight will extend the CSG contact until June 30, 2014, as well as add one day of additional services.

Resources required to address and fund Los Gatos' code compliance program on a longer term basis will be identified as pant of the 2014-15 operating budget.