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Home My WebLink About11/03/2009 03C-1 Citizen Service Request Response RE: Alleged Zoning Violations - I • MEMORANDUM November 3, 2009 TO: Honorable Mayor Dave Edler Members of the City Council FROM: Joe Caruso, Acting Codes Manager SUBJECT: Written complaint submitted to Council August 18, 2009 At the August 18, 2009 council meeting, a written complaint was given to council members Cawley and Lover requesting a response by November 1, 2009. The letter requested investigation of approximately 47 addresses for possible code violations related to licensing and environmental issues, including storage of chemicals, tires and batteries. City of Yakima Code Compliance Officers and Fire Inspector have visited, inspected and evaluated all of the alleged violation sites. All locations were checked for business • licenses, fire inspection history, and code compliance issues under the city's authority. In summary: • 29 of the 47 addresses are approved business locations in compliance with business license and annual fire inspection regulations. T • 3 are approved business locations, are in compliance with business license regulations, and are scheduled for annual fire inspections. Please note: CED has frozen a fire inspector vacancy, leaving 1 Fire Inspector with a total workload of 3,000 inspections per year. • 13 locations are residential or private use, and are not business operations. No business license or fire inspection is required. • 2 possible code violations at the residential /private use locations are being investigated by staff. • 2 addresses are in the city of Union Gap. The storage of chemicals, batteries and tires are regulated by the Fire Code, but disposal regulations are not under the City's authority. If these items are stored in an unsafe manner on site, the fire code enforces these concerns. No Fire Code violations were found on any of the locations listed in the complaint. Concern for ground water contamination was mentioned as a cause for some of the complaints. These issues are investigated and regulated by the Department of Ecology. • If you have any questions regarding this response, please feel free to contact my office.