When the City receives a complaint about blight on private property, it’s the job of the Code Enforcement Division to investigate the complaint and, if a violation is found, ensure that the property owner brings the property into compliance. The City aims to resolve complaints quickly and efficiently. 

What's going well 

The City has strengthened its code enforcement rules, including much higher fines and a clearer, step-by-step process for repeat offenders. 

Challenges     

More cases, a wider range of work, and flat staffing make it difficult for Code Enforcement to resolve complaints quickly. 

What the City is doing

• Crack down on repeat offenders. The City will finish and evaluate the Chronic Offender Resolution and Enforcement (CORE) pilot, which speeds up enforcement on properties with repeated violations. 
• Close cases on time. The City aims to resolve 68% of code enforcement cases within the target time each quarter. 
• Update fines. The City will bring a proposal to the City Council to adjust existing fines and possibly add new ones, encouraging owners to fix problems sooner.

What’s going well

The City removes graffiti quickly and effectively through its existing service. 

Challenges

The volume of graffiti remains high, and the City often removes it only after a resident reports it. 

What the City is doing

•  Spot graffiti automatically. The City will add graffiti detection to the artificial intelligence (AI) cameras mounted on six City vehicles, so crews can find and remove it without waiting for a resident to report it.
• Graffiti on Private Property. The City will implement a pilot that removes graffiti from private property on a fee-for-service basis.

While the City is doing well in collecting illegal dumping and has invested more over time in its programs, the volume of illegal dumping in neighborhoods continues to increase. The City is working to reduce the amount of illegal dumping by deterring it and providing convenient legal alternatives for the disposal of waste. 

What’s going well

The City offers free junk pickup and is testing new tools, such as AI cameras and neighborhood dumpster events, to catch and prevent dumping. 

Challenges

The amount of illegal dumping the City collects continues to increase. 

What the City is doing

• Warn property owners quickly. The City will allow Beautify San José (BSJ) staff to send warning letters within 10 days of finding illegal dumping on private property.
• Review camera evidence faster. The City will set up a process to review dumping caught on camera and refer it to Code Enforcement within 21 days.
• Test neighborhood dumpsters. The City will finish and evaluate the Fixed Dumpster Location pilot, which places dumpsters in high-dumping neighborhoods on a set weekend each month.
• Improve junk pickup. The City will use its new Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system to make the Junk Pickup 311 process easier to use.
• Reach apartment communities. The City will conduct direct outreach to apartment (multifamily) property owners in high-dumping areas to increase use of the free Junk Pickup program.