Mission Statement: “To enhance public safety and the quality of life in partnership with communities through fair enforcement of laws and codes.”

Code Enforcement Administration 4080 Lemon Street 12th Floor Riverside, CA 92501 Phone: 951-955-2004 www.rctlma.org/ce

Director John Boyd

A TLMA Code Enforcement Monthly Newsletter

The Posting

2008 Winner California Counties Challenge Award

Saving a Life District 1

On January 15, 2010, Officer Manolito Molina was out patrolling his area when he saw a vehicle on the side of the road at Lake St. and Temescal Canyon Rd. He thought the way the vehicle was parked didn’t look right, he stopped and walked up to the vehicle, whose engine was still running, and noticed a woman slumped over on the steering wheel unconscious. Officer Molina attempted to get the woman’s attention by banging on the window a few times with no response. Then he noticed that the window was rolled down some and he was able to reach in and open the door.

Officer Molina attempted to speak to the woman with no response, he then sat her back in the seat and noticed her eyes were rolled back. He checked her for a pulse, which was accelerated; she was cold and clammy to the touch. Due to Officer Molina’s training as a paramedic he concluded that she was in a state of diabetic shock. He also noticed that the vehicle was in drive and the woman’s feet were on the brake. Officer Molina placed the vehicle’s gear in the park position and turned off the engine. In an attempt to revive her he gave her some of his soda.

Next he heard a voice coming from a cell phone inside the vehicle, he picked it up and discovered it was the police department. The dispatcher informed Officer Molina that help was on the way. Emergency personnel arrived at the scene and immediately transported the woman to an area hospital for medical attention. Officer Molina was informed by the emergency personnel that if he had not intervened, the woman would have died in another hour or two.

On Tuesday, February 23, 2010, the Board of Supervisors issued a Proclamation to honor Officer Molina for his act of service and heroism.

“I would like to say that I am very proud and honored to have someone like Officer Molina on my team and hope that if ever a loved one of mine or someone else’s, such as this woman, find themselves in a medical emergency, that Officer Molina would happen to be around to save the day once again.”

-Written by Supervising Officer Britt Starkweather

March 2010 Volume 4, Issue 3

Supervising Officer Britt Starkweather and Officer Manolito Molina with his Proclamation

Page 2

Gateway Eyesore Removed District 4

A decades-old garage partly covered in gang graffiti greeted travelers passing through the small farm community of Ripley. A closer look at the garage exposed a more serious concern; the roof of the structure had collapsed and an exterior wall that had buckled was being supported with a board. The building fit the criteria for a substandard structure. The proper notices from Code Enforcement were attached to the structure along with the danger warning signage. The property owner was contacted by Senior Officer George Gianos, and a conversation took place on how soon the building could be demolished. Senior Officer Gianos explained the urgency of the matter to the property owner and building’s threat to public safety. The owner was eager to comply. Thankfully, the property owner had the necessary assistance to demolish the structure. Unfortunately, however, he could not pay for the cleanup of the demolition. A community cleanup was scheduled for the coming weekend, and it was being held at a location approximately two blocks away from the substandard structure. The structure was demolished the night before the cleanup event, and the owner and his family loaded the rubbish and debris onto trailers. The next morning they transported the rubbish to the lot where the community event was in progress. The end result: an eyesore structure removed, a happy property owner (except for a couple of sore muscles and a wood splinter), and a savings of several thousand dollars.

I Can See Clearly Now, the Blight is Gone District 5

Officer Jacob Dietrich responded to a report of an illegal storage yard located in a rural, residential neighborhood on El Toro Road in the unincorporated area of Lake Elsinore. After his initial inspection, Officer Dietrich verified that the property was, in fact, being used as a storage yard and determined that no other agencies were necessary to address the violations found. Officer Dietrich documented three commercial tractors, ten commercial tractor trailers, and one unpermitted mobile home, which were all stored in the front portion of the property adjacent to El Toro Road. El Toro Road is the only access road for many of the area residents, and this storage yard was unslightly to the neighborhood and a nuisance to all residents who traveled the road each day. As a result of working with the property owners, Officer Dietrich was able to achieve compliance in less than two months and according to area residents, the property now looks great.

Greetings from the Governor's Office! Census day (April 1st) is fast approaching. Here are a few quick tips

on how you can help us keep the ball rolling!

• Visit www.CaliforniaCompleteCount.org for information tailored to you!

• View some of our videos and get directions on how to win cool “Be Californian. Be Counted.” gear.

• Encourage friends and colleagues at other service organizations to get involved.

• Try to talk to 10 people a day about how filling out the Census form will help their community.

• The Census is hiring people now! Call 1-866-861-2010. Over 500 people per local census office will be hired.

After A threat to public safety has been removed

Page 3

Officer Tate received a complaint from Corrine Daly, legislative assistant for supervisorial District 3, regarding a violation and dumpsite in the Morgan Hill area of Temecula. Officer Tate made contact with the homeowners’ association (HOA) representing Morgan Hill and scheduled a meeting at the site. The area had apparently become a dumpsite between the canyons off of a rural road, which is not visible from the top of the 19-acre parcel. The property was abandoned by the previous renter; a renter who contributed to the dumping of trash and other materials. The onsite trash consisted of barrels of oil, tires, various equipment components, and household trash. Officer Tate issued a Notice of Violation (NOV), and she subsequently received a telephone call from the sister of the property owner who was out of the state in New York. Officer Tate explained the NOV process to the property owner’s sister, and immediate action was taken by the property owner. The property owner hired a contractor and acquired a dumpster, which resulted in the removal of the trash within one week. As a result of her efforts, Officer Tate received a telephone call from the HOA’s representative, thanking Code Enforcement for responding quickly to the complaint. Code Enforcement also received positive feedback from community members who had full view of the dumpsite. Morgan Hill residents can now enjoy a clear view of the canyons and have a safer area to stroll through.

Eyesore Abated in Thermal District 4 For several years, the corner of Avenue 59 and Polk Street, located in the unincorporated area of Thermal, had been an eyesore to the community. The abandoned structure and the four outbuildings pictured below were a magnet for squatters and illegal dumping. The structure was full of clothes (approximately two truckloads) and littered with trash and construction materials. Code Enforcement’s District 4 team tagged the structure and the outbuildings as substandard and left a Notice of Violation regarding the trash. The property owner(s) failed to contact the Code Enforcement Department and subsequently, the abatement process was initiated after the asbestos testing and the property job walk were conducted. In less than two weeks, the property was completely clean, free of the abandoned structure, outbuildings, trash, and three bee hives (later discovered). The Code Enforcement Department would like to thank Ines Mark, Charlene McNair, Demo Unlimited, Killer Bee pest control, and Steve Hinde for a job well done.

The canyons are now clear for hiking

Abandoned structure and debris Area littered with clothes, trash, and construction materials

Clean and clear

Rapid Response to a Complaint by the Board of Supervisors District 3

LAKE ELSINORE/MEAD VALLEY OFFICE - (951) 245-3186 JURUPA VALLEY/HOME GARDENS OFFICE - (951) 275-8739 MURRIETA SOUTH COUNTY OFFICE - (951) 600-6140 THOUSAND PALMS EAST COUNTY OFFICE - (760) 343-4150 MORENO VALLEY/BANNING OFFICE - (951) 485-5840

Sunday Monday Tues. Wed. Thursday Friday Saturday

1 2 3 4 5 6 Ripley Clean Up (4) Oasis Clean Up (4) Romoland Clean Up (5)

7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Thousand Palms Clean Up (4) DHS Clean up (5)

14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Valle Vista Clean Up (3)

21

28

22

29

23

30

24

31

25 26 27 Indio Hills, Sky Valley, Desert Edge Clean Up (4) Desert Care Event (5)

Give a Day and Get a Disney Day We are thrilled to announce that many of our community clean up events are eligible for the Give A Day, Get a Disney Day volunteer program! For this program you need to volunteer a day of your time to a community service project and Disney will give you a free day into their park. The steps to sign up are listed below. We’d like to thank Desert Recreation District for partnering with us on this special opportunity. STEPS TO SIGN UP: 1. Go to www.rctlma.org/ce and go to Click here and Volunteer. Search for an event by zip code. Then show interest. Please verify age requirements. 2. You will receive a response thanking you for showing interest with a link for completion of signup. Follow the instructions to complete the process and KEEP THAT E-MAIL. 3. Once you have signed up you’ll receive another notice thanking you for completing the sign up process. 4. Please note that you cannot volunteer at an event if you have not pre-registered or if the event is full. 5. Look for the Mickey Ears on the calendar above for eligible events. See you at the Clean Up!