We’ve all heard the saying, “Good fences make good neighbors.” But what about those properties that don’t just impact the adjoining neighbors but the broader community as a whole? It’s that one house with the inoperable cars in the driveway, the store with constantly overflowing trash bins, or the empty lot with overgrown weeds that negatively affect the quality of life for those in the vicinity. The windows of the inoperable cars get broken out, the trash bin gets tagged, and the empty lot becomes the dumping ground for old mattresses and abandoned grocery carts. These conditions send a signal that no one is watching, or worse, that no one cares about what is happening here.
The mission of Chino’s Code Enforcement division is to work in partnership with community members to preserve and enhance the safety, appearance, and economic stability of our City. Our highly professional and well-trained staff administers a fair and unbiased code compliance program founded on the City’s municipal code, which covers issues from zoning, public nuisance, and property maintenance codes to water usage and business regulations. Code Enforcement personnel works with community members to gain voluntary compliance through education and to correct and solve any code issues as they arise.
Most Code Enforcement cases are initiated by complaints from the public and closed within a few contacts. There are others, however, that are complex, lengthy, and costly, taking years and requiring legal action. While there are some egregious examples, our efforts to eliminate hazards, blight, and deteriorating conditions that contribute to unattractive, unsafe, and undesirable residential and commercial neighborhoods are generally more collaborative and efficient. From January 1, 2022 through September 15, 2022 alone, there were 1,186 code violation cases, of which 447 were property maintenance related. Cooperation is the key to success for the approximately 900 of these 1,186 cases that were closed. But sometimes, when property owners or businesses fail to cooperate, progressive enforcement actions are necessary.
The City of Chino is committed to maintaining a beautiful community through the enforcement of our City Code, but to fight blight, the Development Services Department also engages in proactive efforts to preserve and rehabilitate residential properties by providing assistance programs. We understand code compliance can take time and money, so we are willing to work with property owners and businesses to resolve issues.
Public identification and reporting of code violations, coupled with timely, responsive compliance help us preserve safe, vibrant neighborhoods and protect the quality of life and property investments of Chino residents and businesses.
When our community collaborates to identify and address these problems, it sends a clear message: We are watching. We care. And we are taking responsibility to do our part. It’s the neighborly thing to do.
To report a code violation, please visit our online reporting form, email our Code Enforcement Division, or call 909-334-3319.
-Mayor Ulloa