Code Enforcement Unit

OVERVIEW:

The City of Menlo Park has adopted city codes (local laws) to keep your neighborhood safer, healthier, quieter and more attractive. The Police Department has primary responsibility for enforcing our city codes and ordinances. Any police officer can take a complaint of unsafe conditions or issue citations for violations. Most complaints are referred to our Code Enforcement Unit for follow-up. Code Enforcement officers also look for violations, coordinate clean-up or repair; and issue notices, warnings, and citations.

The MPPD Code Enforcement Unit handles calls from residents involving any of the following:

• Health and sanitation violations, unsafe living conditions
• Housing and Redevelopment loan inspections
• Abandoned homes, yards and vacant lots
• Abandoned vehicles, vehicle storage, and lawn parking
• Illegal building modifications, coversions, and structures
• Fences and walls
• Trees, hedges, and weeds
• Signs, posters, handbills, commercial signs, and grafitti
• Solicitors and sales without required licenses
• Food safety and health inspections in Menlo Park restaurants
• Debris, trash, refuse and Illegal dumping (incuding storm drains, creek and resevoir)
• Animal health, welfare and sanitation
• Noise (including chronic barking)
  

Possible Code Violation?

We encourage neighbors to talk to one another first and seek a resolution. When direct requests do not work or are not possible, Code Enforcement can be called for advice. Some issues can be resolved easily with a few contacts from officers. Other issues may take more time or require formal letters, notices and legal processes.

When contacting Code Enforcement, please provide the following information:

• Specific complaint or nuisance
• Exact address (or location) of the problem
• Detailed description of complaint (including timeline)
• Names of anyone you spoke to and efforts to resolve problem