In January, the code enforcement unit and community service officers notified Belle Haven residents of municipal code violations through door hanger notifications. This education and outreach strategy addressed some of the main quality of life issues such as garbage cans being left out in the street or in driveways, overgrown vegetation, debris on properties and abandoned/inoperable vehicles. The notification system was successful in bringing these issues to resident’s attention. 

Sixty percent of households contacted through these door hanger notifications corrected the identified code violations. The door hanger notification system has been a good resource and tool for identifying and solving municipal code violations. This system will begin transitioning throughout other city neighborhoods. Code enforcement will next focus their attention on the Suburban Park area of Menlo Park. The door hanger system will be utilized the same way. As with the Belle Haven neighborhood, code enforcement will not be conducting any property inspections, but will be educating homeowners about municipal codes. 

The expectation is that the homeowner or the property owner will correct the violation voluntarily. The resident will have 30 days to fix the violation. After 30 days, officers will check for compliance. If the problem persists, then issuance of a formal code violation to the property owner will occur.