BIGGS, CA (MPG) - The Biggs City Council on Aug. 26 approved an amendment to its existing contract with Butte County, formally expanding the county’s role to include code enforcement services within city limits. 

The 4-0 decision, absent Vice Mayor Doug Arnold, marks a significant shift in how the city will manage local ordinance compliance, said Interim City Administrator Rodney Harr. 

Harr said Butte County already provides building and planning services to Biggs, including building permit applications, building permit fee collection, plan review and inspections for building permits based upon the county’s current adopted fee schedule. Under the new contract, Butte County will assist Biggs in code enforcement, particularly the identification of sub-standard or uninhabitable buildings and structures at a rate of $140 per hour, billed in 15-minute increments.

The agreement extends existing services through 2030, continuing the partnership that began after the city's in-house building and planning services were eliminated. The City of Gridley has a similar agreement with Butte County. 

Harr, who stepped into the interim role in July following the departure of Cliff Wagner, emphasized the importance of streamlining enforcement under a single agency with established infrastructure and expertise, which saves the city money on salaries and benefits for full-time building and code enforcement staff. 

“Butte County has the necessary staff and resources to deliver these services,” Harr said. 

While Butte County will assume code enforcement duties, the city will still try to resolve code violations internally, first by sending letters and encouraging voluntary compliance. 

Harr said the annual cost to the city will be contingent on code enforcement services demand.

“The whole purpose of the municipal code is to make people comply with the code,” Harr said. “It has a punitive nature, but the ultimate goal is to make people comply.”

Harr said upon receiving notices, Biggs property owners or tenants typically have time to comply or at least indicate to the city that they are attempting to take care of a problem. 

“I’m willing to work with them on the city’s behalf to reach a common goal,” Harr said. 

Harr said only unresolved code violations will be escalated to Butte County, which then takes formal enforcement actions. The amended contract is effective immediately, with Butte County staff expected to begin enforcement duties this month. 

Harr confirmed that city staff will work closely with county officials to ensure a smooth transition and maintain transparency in enforcement actions.

In other matters, the Biggs City Council on Aug. 26 extended its contract with Bennett Engineering Service, which has provided the city with service since 2016. The contract was previously extended in August 2024 for a 1-year term, which ended Sept. 1. 

City officials said Bennett has served the city well for a wide variety of municipal work, including but not limited to improvement projects, compliance reporting, funding procurement, and being the City’s advocate with other local, regional, state, and federal agencies. 

At the same meeting, the Biggs City Council agreed to part ways with Regional Governmental Services (RGS), citing concerns over performance and billing practices. Harr informed the city council in August that Regional Governmental Services exceeded the contract’s not-to-exceed amount and failed to meet the city’s expectations for service delivery. In response, Regional Governmental Services formally withdrew its renewal proposal, allowing the contract to expire without extension. 

The council directed Harr to initiate contact with the two remaining firms that had submitted proposals during the city’s February RFP process.