BIGGS, CA (MPG) - The Biggs City Council on March 10 approved a contract to begin a comprehensive review and recodification of the city’s municipal code, a process city officials said is needed to bring local laws up to date.

City Administrator Nicolas Gauthier told the council the effort reflects a standard best practice for local governments, which typically review their municipal codes about every 10 years to identify outdated ordinances, inconsistencies and conflicts with state or federal law. Biggs has not completed a full review in roughly two decades.

“This is literally housekeeping of our codes,” Gauthier said during the meeting, explaining that changes in statutes, court rulings and regulatory requirements accumulate over time and require periodic updates.

The council selected General Code, the company that currently publishes the city’s municipal code online, to conduct the review, analysis and drafting required to modernize the city’s ordinances.

Gauthier said the city sought quotes from three firms with experience in municipal code work. All proposals were within a similar price range, but General Code offered the lowest cost and already maintains the city’s online code system.

The project will cost $12,995 and includes a full editorial and legal analysis intended to identify conflicts, redundancies and outdated provisions within the city’s laws.

Under the proposed payment structure, the project cost will be spread across two fiscal years, with the first payment occurring during the current budget cycle and the remaining payments scheduled for the following year.

The recodification process is expected to take eight to 12 months and will occur in phases. The work will begin with a detailed review of the city’s existing ordinances before a draft of the reorganized code is prepared for city review and adoption.

Gauthier said the review is also intended to reduce potential legal exposure by addressing gaps or outdated sections of the code.

Items already identified for clarification include accessory dwelling unit approvals, alcohol permitting procedures, code enforcement authority, record retention policies and clearer purchasing and bidding procedures.

The council voted 4-0, with Vice Mayor Bruce Johnson presiding, to approve the contract and authorizes Gauthier to begin the codification process.

Once completed, the project will produce a reorganized municipal code and updated online version intended to improve public access and usability, officials said.