§ 8.13.030. Administrative citations.

A. Citation Power. The director of community development, or his or her designee, may issue an administrative citation as provided by this chapter.

B. Violations Subject to Citation. Any violation of the Signal Hill Municipal Code may be subject to the administrative citation process.

C. Correction Notice. Upon discovery of a violation, the enforcement officer shall issue a written correction notice to the offender by personal service or by registered or certified mail to the offender's last known address. Such notice shall refer to the code section(s) violated and facts supporting the issuance of the citation. The correction notice shall also describe the action(s) necessary to correct the violation and state the final date by which the correction must be completed and inform the offender that he or she is subject to citation if the correction is not made by that date.

D. Correction Period. Unless otherwise specified, an offender shall have at least fifteen calendar days to correct or otherwise remedy a violation prior to the issuance of an administrative citation and the imposition of the corresponding fine. A longer correction period may be granted if the enforcement officer determines that additional time is reasonably necessary to remedy the violation.

E. Expedited Correction Date. An offender may be given less than fifteen calendar days to correct or otherwise remedy a violation prior to the issuance of an administrative citation should the violation be of a transitory nature, or a condition which poses an immediate risk to the health, safety or welfare of the community. An expedited correction date shall set a correction date as short as "immediate," to as many as fourteen days.

F. Citation Issuance--Immediate Risk to the Health. Safety or Welfare of Community. An enforcement officer may, upon discovering that a person has committed a violation of the municipal code that poses an immediate risk to the health, safety or welfare of the community, issue an administrative citation to the offender.

G. Citation Issuance--All Other Cases. In a case where a person has committed a violation of the municipal code that does not pose an immediate risk to the health, safety or welfare of the community, no administrative citation shall be issued to an offender unless he or she has been previously issued a correction notice.

H. Delivery of Citations. The administrative citation shall be issued by personal service on the offender or by registered or certified mail to the offender's last known address. The offender's failure to receive or refusal to accept the administrative citation shall not affect the validity of the administrative citation or any proceeding undertaken to this chapter.

I. Offender's Obligations--Pay Fine/Request Hearing. Within fifteen calendar days from the date the administrative citation is issued, an offender shall either:

1. Pay the administrative fine designated on the administrative citation; or

2. Pay the administrative fine designated on the administrative citation and make a written request to the city clerk for an administrative hearing.

The citation shall be deemed to have been issued on the date noted on the citation, if personally served, or on the date mailed, if served by registered or certified mail. The administrative citation shall include a warning that failure to pay the fine, or failure to pay the fine and request an administrative hearing and appear at the same may result in the city taking all legal steps necessary to obtain payment of the fine, and the offender being charged all costs of such collection.

J. Obligation to Correct Violation. Nothing in this chapter shall be interpreted to mean that payment of the administrative fine by an offender discharges or excuses the offender's obligation to correct the municipal code violation. Failure to correct the municipal code violation may result in the issuance of additional administrative fine citations, the commencement of a criminal prosecution, or the imposition of any other legal remedy available to the city.

(Ord. 2001-10-1296 § 2 (part))