The role of code enforcer is overlooked at times, but local officers are committed to providing excellence in service for the community, as evidenced by Sonoma County code enforcement officer Ryan Pelleriti. He earned the 2020 Code Enforcement Officer of the Year Award from the California Association of Code Enforcement Officers. The County of Sonoma’s Permit and Resource Management Department (Permit Sonoma), celebrated the award with a virtual celebration in mid-October.
Pelleriti is known by colleagues for his good sense of humor and commitment to service. His dedication reached heroic heights recently when he rescued his neighbor’s children from a house fire. He broke his hand in multiple areas while attempting to gain access to the house, which had already caught fire, according to a first-hand account from Pelleriti provided by the county. All of the children, three in all, plus a dog, were saved, as was 90 percent of the home after the local fire department arrived.
When he’s not performing heroic acts, Pelleriti handles a wide array of situations from excess hoarding to illegal and potentially dangerous cannabis production. A six-year veteran as a code enforcement officer in Sonoma County, Pelleriti’s experience also includes time spent as a code officer in Mendocino County, in addition to his tenure as an animal control officer in Healdsburg. “Being born and raised in Sonoma County, I have always had an internal drive to work for our local government and the people we serve,” Pelleriti said in a prepared statement. “Sonoma County code enforcement provides me with a unique platform to build relationships, interact and find solutions alongside our great public to the many complex issues the county faces. That, to me, is the most fulfilling part about being a code enforcement officer.”
