TO: ADAM PIRRIE, CITY MANAGER
FROM: KATIE WAND, ASSISTANT TO THE CITY MANAGER
DATE: JANUARY 23, 2024
Reviewed by:
City Manager: AP
SUBJECT:
Title
ANNUAL HOTEL/MOTEL ORDINANCE REPORT FOR CALENDAR YEAR 2023
Body
SUMMARY
At the Council Priorities Workshop that was held in February 2022, the City Council developed a list of Priorities and Objectives for 2022-24. During the Workshop, many residents expressed concern regarding criminal activity occurring in and around motels located near the I-10 Freeway, including prostitution and human trafficking. The Police Department had also seen a rise in narcotic sales, gang activity, and violent crimes against persons in and around these motels. In response to these concerns, one of the Objectives that the City Council approved for the 2022-24 time period was to evaluate nuisance activity occurring in and around local motels and use a collaborative approach to abate the activity, including consideration of amendments to the City’s existing Hotel/Motel Ordinance.
After months of review and input from stakeholders, including the Claremont Planning Commission, the Claremont Police Commission, community members, City staff, and hotel/motel operators, a revised Hotel/Motel Ordinance was presented to the City Council during a public hearing held on March 14, 2023. The City Council approved the second reading and adoption of the Ordinance at its regular meeting on March 28, 2023, making the Ordinance a new, stand-alone chapter in the City’s Zoning Code. The Ordinance is included as Attachment A to this report.
Along with the new Ordinance, the City Council also directed staff to: (1) establish a City Interdepartmental Team (CIT) to proactively address criminal and nuisance activity at hotels and motels, particularly at freeway motels, and (2) provide an annual progress report to the City Council and the community each year in January regarding the effectiveness of the Hotel/Motel Ordinance. This report provides information and details the activities that have occurred during calendar year 2023.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council receive and file the Annual Hotel/Motel Ordinance Report for calendar year 2023.
Body
ALTERNATIVE TO RECOMMENDATION
In addition to the recommendation, there is the following alternative:
• Request additional information.
FINANCIAL REVIEW
When the City Council approved the Hotel/Motel Ordinance in March 2023, staff reported that the cost of legal fees to develop the ordinance - which included researching ordinance options; responding to questions from staff and community members; and participating in meetings with staff and stakeholders - cost approximately $35,000, which was included in the operating budget of the Administrative Services Department. It was also reported that the staff time to participate in internal and stakeholder meetings; plan and present material at the Hotel/Motel Community Listening Session and the joint Planning and Police Commission meeting; provide feedback on draft Code amendments; and prepare responses to various questions posed by commissioners and community members cost approximately $20,000, and was included in the operating budgets of the Administrative Services, Community Development, and Police Departments. Staff had also advised that upon Ordinance adoption, significant costs related to staff time would be necessary for the regular meetings and updates to be provided by the City Interdepartmental Team (CIT) and to process applications for exceptions to the Hotel/Motel Ordinance by way of the City’s Conditional Use Permit (CUP) process.
During calendar year 2023, the CIT held four team meetings as well as several outreach meetings with hotel/motel operators, which in total cost approximately $13,000 in staff time. This cost was included in the operating budgets of the Administrative Services, Community Development, and Police Departments. Additionally, it is estimated that the staff cost to prepare the three CIT Quarterly Reports that were published between April and October 2023 was approximately $2,300. This cost is included in the operating budget of the Administrative Services Department.
Also, during calendar year 2023, three hotel operators submitted applications seeking exceptions to the Ordinance, all of which were presented to the Planning Commission for their consideration. The total cost of staff time to process the three CUP applications (including report preparation, meetings with applicants, and commission meetings) was approximately $4,400 and was included in the operating budgets of the Community Development and Administrative Services Departments. Because the City offered expedited CUP processing and a flat rate ($1,250) for hotels/motel operators who applied for a conditional use permit (CUP) seeking certain Hotel/Motel Ordinance exceptions before October 27, 2023 (as directed by City Council), the City subsidized the cost of staff time that was not covered by each respective flat rate.
Lastly, the staff cost to prepare this report (including the attached final CIT Quarterly Report of calendar year 2023) is estimated at $1,300 and is included in the operating budget of the Administrative Services Department.
ANALYSIS
Background
At the Council Priorities Workshop that was held in February 2022, the City Council developed a list of Priorities and Objectives for 2022-24. During the Workshop, many residents expressed concern regarding criminal activity occurring in and around motels located near the I-10 Freeway, including prostitution and human trafficking. The Police Department had also seen a rise in narcotic sales, gang activity, and violent crimes against persons in and around these motels. In response to these concerns, one of the Objectives that the City Council approved for the 2022-24 time period was to evaluate nuisance activity occurring in and around local motels and use a collaborative approach to abate the activity, including consideration of amendments to the City’s existing Hotel/Motel Ordinance.
After months of review and input from stakeholders, including the Claremont Planning Commission, the Claremont Police Commission, community members, City staff, and hotel/motel operators, a revised Hotel/Motel Ordinance was presented to the City Council during a public hearing held on March 14, 2023. The City Council approved the second reading and adoption of the Ordinance at their regular meeting on March 28, 2023, making the Ordinance a new, stand-alone chapter in the City’s Zoning Code.
Along with the new Ordinance, the City Council also directed staff to (1) establish a City Interdepartmental Team (CIT) to proactively address criminal and nuisance activity at hotels and motels, particularly at freeway motels, and (2) provide an annual progress report to the City Council and the community each year in January regarding the effectiveness of the Hotel/Motel Ordinance.
Hotel/Motel Ordinance
The City’s new Hotel/Motel Ordinance (Attachment A) imposed several new requirements for hotel/motel operators citywide:
• A hotel/motel operator may not re-rent rooms when guests check out before their minimum length of stay has elapsed (i.e., 18 hours for motels; overnight for hotels).
• The Ordinance will require guests to provide a valid credit/debit card as a way to verify their identity (even if they are paying for their room with cash).
• All hotels and motels are required to maintain a guest register that contains guest information specified in the Ordinance, and employees are required to sign an attestation stating that a guest matches the photo on their Identification Document (ID).
• All hotels and motels are required to scan images of a guest’s ID.
• Permit parking is required for all hotels/motels.
• CCTV recording cameras are required in a hotel/motel’s common areas, entry points, and parking areas.
• The Ordinance explicitly outlines site and operational requirements, like security, cleanliness, room furnishings, and the condition of the exterior of the property and common areas.
• The Ordinance reflects the strictest possible inspection requirements that are permitted under current law.
Further, the City Council direction was that several “exceptions” to these requirements could only be granted to a hotel/motel operator if they are approved through a Conditional Use Permit (CUP). These exceptions include:
• A hotel or motel operator wants to allow for guest stays of more than thirty consecutive days.
• A hotel or motel operator wants guests to be able to stay for more than sixty cumulative calendar days in a 180-day period.
• A motel operator wants to rent rooms for periods of less than 18 hours.
• A hotel operator wants to rent rooms for periods shorter than an “overnight stay.”
• A hotel or motel operator wants to offer a “day use” program (i.e., hourly room rentals that do not require an overnight stay).
• A hotel or motel operator wants to have the ability to re-rent rooms when guests check out before their minimum length of stay has elapsed (18 hours for motels; overnight for hotels).
• A hotel or motel operator wants to utilize “digital check-ins.”
• A hotel or motel operator does not want to implement a permit parking program.
• A hotel or motel operator does not want to install CCTV cameras in their parking lot(s).
Changes in hotel/motel operations imposed by the Ordinance were required to be completed within three months (July 27, 2023) of Ordinance adoption and changes that require physical improvements to the property will need to be completed within one year (April 27, 2024) of Ordinance adoption. The City Council also directed staff to offer an expedited CUP process and a flat rate ($1,250) for hotels/motel operators who apply for exceptions before October 27, 2023.
January - March 2023
The first Quarterly Motel/Motel CIT Report (Attachment B) was published in April 2023 and reported on activity that occurred between January 1, 2023 and March 31, 2023. Highlights of this report include:
• The establishment of the Proactive Building & Safety Inspection Program for Hotels/Motels in January 2023.
• An Undercover Prostitution Detail conducted by the Claremont Police Department and the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office Bureau of Investigation in the area of Indian Hill Blvd. and the I-10 freeway (January 2023). During the enforcement detail, 16 subjects were arrested for soliciting a “Prostitute” for sexual acts.
• The adoption of the Hotel/Motel Ordinance in March 2023.
In March 2023, a City Interdepartmental Team (CIT) was established to proactively address criminal and nuisance activity at hotels and motels, particularly at freeway motels. Members of the CIT are as follows:
• Katie Wand, Assistant to the City Manager (CIT Team Lead)
• Alisha Patterson, City Attorney
• Corporal Michael Snyder, Claremont PD
• Corporal William Livingston, Claremont PD
• Matthew Guerrero, Community Improvement Coordinator
• Jennifer Earl, Community Improvement Officer
• Wendy Ramallo, Citizen Representative
April - June 2023
The second Quarterly Motel/Motel CIT Report (Attachment C) was published in July 2023 and reported on activity that occurred between April 1, 2023 and June 30, 2023. Highlights of this report include:
• An Undercover Prostitution Detail conducted by the Claremont Police Department and the Pomona Police Department in the area of Indian Hill Blvd. and the I-10 freeway (April 2023). During the enforcement detail, 12 subjects were arrested for soliciting a “Prostitute” for sexual acts.
• On-site CIT “Meet and Greets” with staff from the Double Tree by Hilton Claremont and the Claremont Lodge in June 2023.
During this timeframe, the CIT established the following:
• The CIT will meet on a quarterly basis.
• A comment form was added to the City’s website to allow members of the public to provide feedback on hotels and motels.
• Members of the CIT have discussed compiling and tracking the following for each hotel/motel:
o Frequency of police presence (proactive monitoring/not in response to a call for service)
o Police calls for service (including criminal and nuisance activity that may be stemming from hotel/motel operations)
o Reported Code or Building violations
o Reports of graffiti and other nuisance activity occurring at or adjacent to property
• Staff will continue to conduct outreach and offer support to all hotels/motels regarding the requirements imposed by the new Ordinance, and will assist interested hotels/motels with the streamlined CUP process.
• Members of the CIT will identify ways to contact “hard to reach” residents (i.e., those who have been impacted by criminal/nuisance activity but have not attended City/community meetings) as well as nearby businesses who live/operate near the freeway motels and may have useful feedback for staff/neighboring motel operators.
July - September 2023
The third Quarterly Motel/Motel CIT Report (Attachment D) was published in November 2023 and reported on activity that occurred between July 1, 2023 and September 30, 2023. Highlights of this report include:
• An Undercover Prostitution Detail conducted by the Claremont Police Department along with the Monterey Park Police Department, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office Bureau of Investigation, and with the assistance of Claremont Motel 6 in the area of Indian Hill Blvd. and the I-10 freeway (July 2023). During the enforcement detail, 16 subjects were arrested for soliciting a “prostitute” for sexual acts.
• Staff conducted a second round of voluntary inspections for each hotel/motel in September-October 2023 as part of the Proactive Building & Safety Inspection Program for Hotels/Motels.
October - December 2023
The fourth Quarterly Motel/Motel CIT Report is included as Attachment E and reports on activity that occurred between October 1, 2023 and December 31, 2023. Highlights of this report include:
• An Undercover Prostitution Detail conducted by the Claremont Police Department along with the Glendora Police Department, Upland Police Department, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office Bureau of Investigation, and with the assistance of Claremont Motel 6 in the area of Indian Hill Blvd. and the I-10 freeway (October 2023). During the enforcement detail, 12 subjects were arrested for soliciting a “prostitute” for sexual acts.
• The City offered an expedited CUP process and a flat rate ($1,250) for hotels/motel operators who applied for a conditional use permit (CUP) seeking certain Hotel/Motel Ordinance exceptions before October 27, 2023. As of this deadline, the following operators have been granted certain Ordinance exceptions: Casa 425, Double Tree by Hilton Claremont, and Residence Inn by Marriott (former University Inn/Knights Inn).
• Demolition of the former University Inn/Knights Inn commenced in November 2023. This site is the future location of a new 120-room hotel (Residence Inn by Marriott). In preparation for the new development, the City planted 25 new street trees on both sides of San Jose Avenue and in the center median to help provide additional shade and privacy screening for nearby residences.
Data and Statistics
In January 2023, it was reported that Claremont Police Officers have responded to over 3,000 calls for service in the geographic area between the I-10 Freeway and American Avenue, and Indian Hill Boulevard and Drake Avenue in the past two years, resulting in over 245 arrests. These calls for service include officer-initiated activity, such as welfare checks. 2023 year-end statistics will be available in late January 2024, and will be published in the April 2024 CIT Quarterly Report (which will also report on activity occurring between January 1, 2024 and March 31, 2024).
Moving forward, the CIT will explore comparing year-to-year calls/reports for service to monitor the effectiveness of the Hotel/Motel Ordinance and the perception of safety in the areas nearby hotels/motels.
RELATIONSHIP TO CITY PLANNING DOCUMENTS
Staff has evaluated the agenda item in relationship to the City’s strategic and visioning documents and finds that it applies to the following City Planning Documents: Council Priorities, General Plan, and the 2022-24 Budget.
CEQA REVIEW
This item is not subject to environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
COUNCIL COMMITTEE/COMMISSION REVIEW
The development of the Hotel/Motel Ordinance involved an extensive public process prior to City Council adoption, including the following Commission review during calendar year 2023:
• Planning Commission and Police Commission joint review on January 28, 2023.
• Planning Commission recommendation to the City Council on February 21, 2023.
Further, the Planning Commission considered CUP exceptions for the following three hotel operators during calendar year 2023:
• Residence Inn (March 21, 2023)
• Casa 425 (September 19, 2023)
• Continued Casa 425 (October 17, 2023)
• Double Tree by Hilton Claremont (December 5, 2023)
Minutes from each of these meetings may be found in Attachments F through I, for reference.
PUBLIC NOTICE PROCESS
The agenda and staff report for this item have been posted on the City website and distributed to interested parties. If you desire a copy, please contact the City Clerk’s Office.
Submitted by:
Katie Wand
Assistant to the City Manager
Attachments:
A - Hotel/Motel Ordinance
B - Quarterly Report #1
C - Quarterly Report #2
D - Quarterly Report #3
E - Quarterly Report #4
F - Planning Commission Minutes 3/21/23
G - Planning Commission Minutes 9/19/23
H - Planning Commission Minutes 10/17/23
I - Planning Commission Minutes 12/5/23