Council votes to place code enforcement under community and economic development manager

The Ridgecrest City Council voted unanimously to amend the community and economic development manager job description to assign supervision of the city’s civilian code-enforcement officers to that manager.

The police chief told the council the change reflected current operations after code-enforcement staff were moved into city hall and to ensure POST-compliant access to police databases. The chief said staff completed background checks so the civilian manager could approve reports and access databases “directly related to code enforcement,” and that the change was intended to increase transparency and efficiency.

Council members asked whether the manager would receive additional compensation for the added oversight; staff replied no pay increase was being added. A caller on the phone objected to moving enforcement out of the police department, arguing that code enforcement includes citation authority and hearings that are policing in character and therefore should remain under police oversight.

Why it matters: The change shifts the direct supervisory line for code-enforcement personnel from a police captain to a civilian manager for day-to-day matters, while staff said the police department will retain purview over incidents that rise to enforcement requiring police involvement.

What happens next: The council approved the update by a 5–0 vote. Staff said they will publicize the supervisory change and that code-enforcement-related matters that escalate to legal or public-safety levels will continue to involve the police department.