Sec. 22-23. - Inspections.

(a)

Authority to Conduct. County staff, local enforcement agency staff, the Sonoma County waste management agency, and/or, their respective designees, which may include county franchisees, are authorized to conduct inspections and investigations, at random or otherwise, of any collection container, collection vehicle loads, or transfer, processing, or disposal facility for materials collected from generators, or source separated materials to confirm compliance with this ordinance by organic waste generators, commercial businesses (including multi-family residential dwellings), property owners, commercial edible food generators, haulers, self- haulers, food recovery services, and food recovery organizations, subject to applicable laws. This section does not allow inspectors to enter the interior of a private residential property for inspection. For the purposes of inspecting commercial business containers for compliance with Sections 22-3, 22-4, 22-15 or 22-16 of this chapter, representatives of entities authorized pursuant to this subsection may conduct container inspections for prohibited container contaminants using remote monitoring.

(b)

Cooperation with Inspectors Required. Generators shall provide or arrange for access during all inspections (with the exception of residential property interiors) and shall cooperate with the county's staff or its designees during such inspections and investigations. Such inspections and investigations may include confirmation of proper placement of materials in containers, edible food recovery activities, records, or any other requirement of this ordinance described herein. Failure to provide or arrange for: (i) access to an entity's premises; (ii) installation and operation of remote monitoring equipment; or (iii) access to records for any inspection or investigation is a violation of this ordinance and may result in penalties described.

(c)

Public Records. Any records obtained during inspections, remote monitoring, and other reviews shall be subject to the requirements and applicable disclosure exemptions of the Public Records Act as set forth in Government Code Section 6250 et seq.

(d)

Complaints. Written complaints from persons regarding an entity that may be potentially non-compliant with this chapter, including anonymous complaints, may be directed to the department and/or its designee.

(Ord. No. 6361, § II(Exh. A), 11-16-2021)