Community Services Department
The Community Services & Water Department has four divisions: Public
Works, Building, Planning, and Water. There are approximately 80 employees.
The following is an overview of each division's responsibilities:
Public Works Division
The forefathers of the City established Vernon in 1905 as an industrial
community. Over the years the City constructed an infrastructure to
serve our unique community. It is the Public Works Departments' responsibility
to maintain and enhance the roadway, sewer, and storm drain systems
constructed to serve the City.
The Public Works Departments' duties and tasks include:
- engineering design and contract administration of public improvements
including roadway, traffic signal, sewer, storm drain, and city owned
buildings;
- maintenance of the infrastructure utilizing both city employees
and contractors, the maintenance of city owned buildings;
- warehousing of city equipment, stock, and supplies;
- and maintenance of city vehicles.
Building Division
The Building Division's primary function is to ensure that all structures
constructed within the city are built to minimum life safety standards.
The city enforces the uniform building codes as adopted by the State
of California. These codes establish the minimum construction standards
for all buildings within the City.
The City and State require that a building permit be obtained prior
to the construction of a structure. Through plan check and inspection,
the Building Division staff ensures that the structure is in compliance
with the building, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, and fire codes.
Through an occupancy inspection program the Building Division staff
inspects structures to ensure that they may be safely occupied. The
inspection includes observations of exiting, structural, electrical,
mechanical, and plumbing components of the building along with a review
of the product that will be stored within the facility.
Planning Division
The Planning Division is responsible for the development and oversight
of the General Plan for the City. The General Plan establishes guiding
principles on how the City will be developed and maintained through
a series of goals and policies. The land use element of the General
Plan is the basis for the City of Vernon's Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance.
The Zoning Ordinance establishes the zoning districts for the City,
the allowable uses, and development standards for each zone. Certain
uses which may cause adverse impacts to neighboring properties may be
required to obtain a Conditional Use Permit prior to construction and
operation.
It is the Planning Division's responsibility to review each development
to determine that the minimum standards of the zone are implemented.
Staff duties also include processing all zoning variances and conditional
use permits and preparing and reviewing California Environmental Quality
Act (CEQA) documents.
Water Division
The Water Division is responsible for providing safe potable drinking
water, meeting State and Federal requirements at an economical price.
The City maintains wells, reservoirs and piping systems designed to
meet the demands of an industrial community. The Insurance Service Organization
has classified the Vernon system as a Class I System, the highest possible.
Vernon's water rates are among the lowest in the area.
City crews are responsible for maintaining the wells, reservoirs,
hydrants and constructing new water services. A constant pressure is
maintained by the City's centrally located elevated tank.
