Logo courtesy of Yuba County

MARYSVILLE, CA (MPG) - Yuba County code enforcement reported a rising number of complaints in 2025, tackling illegal dumping, unsafe structures, inoperable vehicles and encampments across the county.

Jeremy Strang, Yuba County’s deputy director of the Community Development Services Agency overseeing the building and code enforcement division, told the Yuba County Board of Supervisors on April 28 the department handled 632 new cases last year, a roughly 30% increase from 2022 levels, but also improved case resolution, with the highest number of complaints concentrated in Linda and Olivehurst, followed by smaller totals in outlying areas such as Hallwood.

“We closed more cases in 2025 than we opened, which isn’t something that’s happened in a long time,” Strang said.

Despite an increase in complaints, the outcome reflects sustained enforcement and compliance efforts, he said.

The department issued 85 notices and orders in 2025 and oversaw 51 abatements, including nine led by the county and 42 completed voluntarily by property owners. The department also posted 82 unsafe-to-occupy buildings, including four occupied homes where residents received relocation assistance.

Code enforcement executed 11 inspection warrants and participated in 56 marijuana-related cases alongside regional enforcement partners. The work is largely funded through cost recovery, including billing for abatement and administrative expenses, as well as Measure K revenues, Strang said.

Abandoned vehicle enforcement remained a major focus. Through the county’s Abandoned Vehicle Abatement program, crews removed 237 vehicles, including 92 towed units and 36 recreational vehicles, which Strang said are increasingly common and costly to dispose of.

Two sheriff’s deputies assigned to code enforcement handled 1,165 self-initiated incidents, made 127 arrests and issued 63 citations. Their work included illegal camping enforcement, parking violations, drug-related cases and stolen vehicle recoveries. Deputies also coordinated with homeless outreach teams and assisted with 97 encampment cleanups.

Cleanup crews removed nearly 387,000 pounds of refuse in 2025, along with 629 tires and dozens of mattresses through a newly launched recovery program, Strang said. Efforts focused on waterways, illegal dumping sites and encampments, including cleanup work near Parks Bar Bridge on the Yuba River and along the Highway 70 corridor, with funding support from the water agency.

Additional enforcement included the removal of more than 100 illegal signs and ongoing work in the county’s primary commercial corridor, where the department targeted nuisance properties, unsafe buildings and chronic law enforcement problem sites.

Strang also highlighted the use of stipulation agreements to bring distressed properties into compliance, often leading to cleanup, resale and redevelopment opportunities.

Strang said the overall effort is aimed at maintaining public safety, protecting waterways and improving neighborhood conditions through consistent enforcement and collaboration with other agencies.

Supervisors accepted the annual report. No action was taken.