Administrative Hearing Officer.
Riverside Municipal Code § 1.17.160
in effect1.17.160 - Administrative Hearing Officer.
A. Qualifications. The City Manager or the designated representative thereof shall promulgate rules and procedures as are necessary to contract with qualified persons capable of acting as Administrative Hearing Officers.
B. Independent authority. The employment, performance evaluation, compensation and benefits of the Administrative Hearing Officer shall not be directly or indirectly conditioned upon the amount of the administrative fines or penalties upheld, awarded, imposed, or assessed by the Administrative Hearing Officer.
C. Disqualification. Any person designated to serve as an Administrative Hearing Officer is subject to disqualification for bias, prejudice, interest, or for other reason for which a judge may be disqualified in a court of law. Rules and procedures for the disqualification of an Administrative Hearing Officer based upon a showing of actual bias, prejudice, interest, or other reason shall be promulgated by the City Manager or the City Manager's designee.
D. Powers. The Administrative Hearing Officer shall have the power to:
1. Conduct administrative enforcement hearings and administrative appeal hearings as provided under the authority of this Code;
2. Continue a hearing based on good cause shown by one of the parties to the hearing or upon his own independent determination that due process has not been adequately afforded to a responsible party;
3. Exercise continuing jurisdiction over the subject matter of an administrative enforcement hearing for the purposes of granting a continuance, ensuring compliance with an Administrative Civil Penalties Enforcement Order, modifying an Administrative Civil Penalties Enforcement Order, or where extraordinary circumstances exist, granting a new administrative enforcement hearing;
4. Require and direct a responsible party to post a performance bond to ensure compliance with an Administrative Civil Penalties Enforcement Order;
5. Rule upon the merits of an administrative appeal hearing or an administrative enforcement hearing upon consideration of the evidence submitted and issue a written decision resolving the case;
6. Uphold, award, impose, assess, or deny a fine or penalty authorized under this Code;
7. Assess administrative costs according to proof;
8. Set, increase, or decrease, according to proof, the amount of fine or penalty or the daily rate of such fine or penalty sought by the City to be awarded, imposed, or assessed in those cases where the fine or penalty is not fixed but is subject to a range as otherwise established by this Code;
9. In those cases where the fine or penalty is not fixed but is subject to a range as otherwise established by this Code, determine the date certain upon which the assessment of civil penalties shall begin; and, where the corrections are subsequently completed to the City's satisfaction, the date certain upon which the assessment of civil penalties shall end. If the violations have not been so corrected, the daily accrual of the penalties assessed shall continue until the violations are corrected or the legal maximum limit is reached;
10. Where appropriate in administrative enforcement actions arising from the issuance of an Administrative Civil Penalties Notice and Order and as a condition of compliance in correcting the violations at issue; impose upon each responsible party who has ownership, possession, or control of the parcel of real property that is the subject of the administrative enforcement action, the obligation to participate in and successfully complete the City's Crime Free Multi-Housing Program (or its successor program). Further, each such Responsible Party shall have the obligation to maintain the currency of any certification issued as part of that program for the period of ownership, possession, or control of the subject property; and
11. Where appropriate in administrative enforcement actions arising from the issuance of an Administrative Civil Penalties Notice and Order and as a condition of compliance in correcting the violations at issue; require each responsible party to cease violating this Code and to make all necessary corrections as specified by the City.
(Ord. 6963 § 2, 2007; Ord. 6724 § 2, 2004; Ord. 6479 § 1, 1999)
Source: City of Riverside, California, Municipal Code and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/ca/riverside/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIICOOR_TIT1GEPR_CH1.17ADCOENRE_1.17.160ADHEOFFetched: 11/1/2026