May 19, 2026
Community Development
DATE: May 19, 2026
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM: Lina Velasco, Director of Community Development
Eva Mann, Code Enforcement Manager
SUBJECT: Levy of Special Assessments for Unpaid Administrative Citation and Nuisance Abatement Costs
FINANCIAL IMPACT: Approval of this action will allow the City of Richmond to collect $231,737.34 in outstanding receivables from the subject properties listed in the resolution. These
receivables consist of unpaid administrative citation fees, abatement fees, and abatement warrants. These costs
have been incurred by the City to obtain warrants and
abate property nuisances.
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
None.
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
The Richmond Municipal Code (RMC) Section 9.22.100
and Section 9.22.110 authorizes Code Enforcement
officers to enforce corrections of violations, issue
citations, assess late fees, and collect unpaid fines and abatement costs. To recover these unpaid abatement
costs, the City Council must hold a public hearing and
adopt a resolution approving the placement of special
assessments on properties with unpaid balances related
to nuisance abatements. City staff is requesting
authorization to levy special assessments on certain
properties with unpaid invoices for nuisance abatement
costs, as outlined in RMC Chapters 2.62, 6.38, 9.22, and
11.76, for the period of May 1, 2023, through December
31, 2025.
AGENDA
REPORT
May 19, 2026
RECOMMENDED ACTION: HOLD a public hearing; and ADOPT a resolution authorizing the levy of special assessments against
certain properties with unpaid invoices related to
administrative citation fees, and nuisance abatement
costs pursuant to Richmond Municipal Code Chapters
2.62, 6.38, 9.22, and 11.76 – Community Development
Department/Code Enforcement Division (Lina
Velasco/Eva Mann 510-621-1279).
DISCUSSION:
Richmond Municipal Code (“RMC”) Chapter 2.62 and Section 9.22.100 and Section
9.22.110 authorize the City of Richmond to levy special assessment liens against properties for unpaid abatement costs, including those imposed under Chapters 6.38 and 11.76. Recoverable costs include unpaid nuisance abatement expenses, administrative citation fees, and late payment charges. California Government Code § 38773.5(a) similarly allows cities to “make the cost of abatement of a nuisance upon a parcel of land a special assessment against that parcel.”
Pursuant to Richmond Municipal Code Section 9.22.110(d) , the City Manager or designee periodically prepares and files with the City Clerk a report and assessment list identifying all real propert ies where abatement work has been performed by the City and for which the owner has not fully reimbursed the City within 30 days of the date of billing. The report must include a description of each property, the expenses incurred by the City, and the names and address of persons entitled to notice, as identified in Richmond Municipal Code Section 9.22.100 (c).
Unpaid code enforcement fines may include administrative citations, late fees, reinspection fees, fees for obtaining an abatement warrant, abatement fees, and staff time associated with abatement activities. When these charges remain unpaid for 30 days after the property owner is invoiced, the charges may become a lien on each parcel of land, collectible in the same manner as other municipal taxes. As part of the process to recover unpaid fees, City staff issues final invoices notifying owners of the City’s intent to levy the property if fees are not paid. Property owners who fail to pay the outstanding fees and fines by the date listed in the final invoice are listed in Exhibit A and are recommended to be levied.
Properties 1 through 8 of Exhibit A were mailed two final invoices, the first in June 2025, and the second in August 2025. Properties 9 through 15 were mailed a final invoice in April 2026 . All property owners received a final invoice after abatement work was completed on their property. In total, property owners received a minimum of two (2) final invoices fr om the Code Enforcement Division.
The proposed assessment list (Exhibit A) covers the period of May 1, 2023, through December 31, 2025, and includes 15 properties with a combined total of $188,443.34 in outstanding fees. Notable items on the list include :
May 19, 2026
Five (5) properties located at S outh 28th St., 2839 Hoffman Blvd., 103 S 42nd St., 418 4th St., and a vacant lot (Vale Rd and Howard St.), relate to the abatement of homeless encampments on private property.
Two (2) properties located at S outh 28th St. and 434 Bissell Ave. appear on the list twice as both properties were previously cited for the same violations and remain out of compliance.
Below are summaries of the occupancy status for all properties on the proposed lien list:
Property Status Number of
Properties
Outstanding Fees
Total
Outstanding Fees + Special
Assessment Total
Vacant Lot 11 144,834.26 176,657.26
Vacant Structure 4 43,609.08 55,080.08
Grand Total 15 188,443.34 231,737.34
Pursuant to Richmond Municipal Code Section 9.22.110(f), any owner who objects to the proposed assessment and who desires to challenge the proposed assessment at the City Council hearing must submit any and all objections in writing to the City Clerk at least two days prior to the hearing date (May 17, 2026). The failure of any owner to submit objections to the City Clerk shall constitute a waiver of any such objections .
Pursuant to Richmond Municipal Code Section 9.22.110(g) , only those persons who have submitted timely written objections to the Cit y Clerk within the required timeframe shall be heard by the Council. At said hearing, the City Council may correct, modify or eliminate any proposed assessment which the City Council may deem excessive or otherwise incorrect. Thereafter, by vote and resolu tion, the City Council shall confirm each assessment and the amount thereof, as proposed or as corrected and modified, and order that an assessment be made as a personal obligation of the owner or, alternatively, assess it against the property .
Upon City Council approval, the fees and fines listed in Exhibit A will be levied by Contra Costa County for inclusion on the 2026-2027 tax roll.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 - Resolution
Attachment 1(Exhibit A) – “Receivables for Unpaid Code Enforcement Abatement Fees for May 1, 2023, to December 31, 2025”
Attachment 2 – Before and After Photos