What happens after someone files a complaint?
A letter notifying the respondent that a complaint has been filed is prepared and sent, including a copy of the complaint and a request for information, or “RFI”. The respondent is given four to six weeks to respond to the request. If they respond appropriately, the investigator assesses the response and determines if any more information is necessary, such as interviews with witnesses, copies of documents, a site visit, etc. If the respondent does not respond to the RFI, then the matter is referred to the County Attorney’s office to seek approval of the Board of Supervisors to file in court for a subpoena to get the information needed to complete the investigation. After all of the necessary information is gathered, it is analyzed by the staff to determine if there is reasonable ground to believe that the Ordinance has been violated. If the staff does not find a reason to believe that the Ordinance was violated as alleged, the complainant is notified by letter of the finding and given
