Title
Appointment of Hearing Examiner for Code Compliance Hearings
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FileID
File ID: 2026-01043
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Location
Location: Citywide
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Recommendation
Recommendation: Adopt a Resolution appointing Bonnie Peterson as a hearing examiner to hear appeals of administrative penalties, fees, orders, and other enforcement matters for violations of the Sacramento City Code for a four-year term effective July 1, 2026.
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Contact
Contact: Bridget Casey, Program Manager, (916) 808-4591, bcasey@cityofsacramento.org; Peter Lemos, Code and Housing Enforcement Chief, (916) 808-8183, plemos@cityofsacramento.org; Community Development Department
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Presenter
Presenter: None
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Attachments
Attachments:
1-Description/Analysis
2-Hearing Examiner Application
3-Resolution
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Description/Analysis
IssueDetail
Issue Detail: Various chapters of the Sacramento City Code provide the ability to appeal administrative penalties, fees, and orders imposed resulting from code violations. Under City Code sections 1.24.050 1.28.010(D)(4)(c), administrative penalty appeals may be heard by a hearing examiner appointed by the City Council. Matters of fees and orders imposed shall also be heard by a hearing examiner appointed by the City Council as noted in the various chapters of Sacramento City Code. The Community Development Department (CDD), Code Compliance Division conducts hearings for administrative penalties, fees, and notice & orders issued by its building inspectors and code enforcement officers for code violations and failure to comply with orders. CDD items at the hearings include matters such as violations of the City’s Neighborhood Code Compliance program and Housing & Dangerous Buildings violations.
These hearings have expanded to include administrative appeals from other City departments and divisions, including Animal Control, Police, Fire, Urban Forestry, and Solid Waste. Additionally, hearing examiners may be called upon by other City departments when an independent decision is necessary, such as Department of Utilities for service disconnections and the Revenue Division for fee collections.
For code violations resulting in an administrative penalty and related fees, the hearing examiner can affirm the administrative penalty amount, reduce the penalty to a lower amount, or find that imposition of the penalty is not warranted. The hearing examiner has the discretion to impose a lower, but not a higher penalty amount. In making the decision, the hearing examiner considers evidence presented by all witnesses, the seriousness of the violation, the responsible party’s efforts to correct the violation, the impact on the neighborhood, any instances in which the responsible party has been in violation of the same or similar code provisions in the previous three years, and the amount of City staff time which was expended investigating and addressing the violation. Decisions made by the hearing examiner are final.
Hearing examiner openings were posted on the City Clerk Boards and Commissions recruitment website in November 2025. Bonnie Peterson’s application was received and is included in Attachment 2. The applicant was interviewed by a panel of three City employees. Based on their qualifications, experience, and interview, Bonnie Peterson was selected to serve as a hearing examiner.
Staff is recommending appointment of this hearing examiner to a four-year term. Hearing examiners can apply to be reappointed at the end of their term. A resolution is required for such appointments per City Code section 1.24.060(B).
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PolicyConsiderations
Policy Considerations: None.
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EconomicImpacts
Economic Impacts: Not applicable.
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EnvironmentalConsiderations
Environmental Considerations: Not applicable.
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Sustainability
Sustainability: Not applicable.
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Commission/Committee Action
Commission/Committee Action: Not applicable.
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RationaleforRecommendation
Rationale for Recommendation: Hearing examiners are necessary to ensure due process for appeals of administrative penalties, fees and orders. They are non-city employees who conduct hearings and issue opinions based on findings of fact.
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FinancialConsiderations
Financial Considerations: The hourly fee is set by City Council and applies to review of the hearing packet, the hearing length, and the time to review the evidence and prepare the decision. The hourly fee for hearing examiners is currently $50.00 per hour. Hearing costs are partially offset by hearing appeal fees. There are sufficient resources in the Fiscal Year 2026/27 Community Development Department Operating budget to fund the hearing costs. Resources in future years will be subject to availability in the adopted operating budget for the applicable fiscal year.
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LocalBusinessEnterprise
Local Business Enterprise (LBE): Not applicable.
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