TO: ADAM PIRRIE, CITY MANAGER
FROM: KATIE WAND, DEPUTY CITY MANAGER
DATE: FEBRUARY 11, 2025
Reviewed by:
City Manager: AP
SUBJECT:
Title
ANNUAL HOTEL/MOTEL REPORT FOR CALENDAR YEAR 2024 (FUNDING SOURCE: GENERAL FUND)
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 frequent 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 2022-24 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 can be found 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. During the 2024-26 Priorities and Objectives setting process, the City Council approved a revised Objective: “Continue to evaluate nuisance activity occurring in and around local motels and use a collaborative approach to abate the activity via the City’s Interdepartmental Team.” Based on direction from the City Council, this report provides information/activity that occurred during calendar year 2024.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommended Action
Staff recommends the City Council receive and file the Annual Hotel/Motel Report for calendar year 2024.
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 - was approximately $35,000, which was included in the operating budget of the Administrative Services Department. It was also reported that the cost of 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 was 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 2024, the CIT held three team meetings, which in total cost approximately $5,000 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 four CIT Quarterly Reports that were published for calendar year 2024 cost approximately $1,400. This cost was included in the operating budget of the Administrative Services Department.
It should also be noted that the changes made to the Ordinance in March 2023 have not had a material impact on the City’s Transient Occupancy Tax revenues that are received from City hotels/motels.
Lastly, the staff cost to prepare this report is estimated at $650 and is included in the operating budget of the Administrative Services Department.
ANALYSIS
Hotel/Motel Ordinance
The City’s 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; and
• 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 for 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 required physical improvements to the property were required 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 applied for exceptions before December 31, 2024. The following hotel operators took advantage of this offer: Double Tree by Hilton Claremont, Casa 425, and Residence Inn.
City Interdepartmental Team
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 presently as follows:
• Katie Wand, Deputy City Manager (CIT Team Lead)
• Alisha Patterson, City Attorney
• Detective Michael Snyder, Claremont PD
• Detective Lauren Haynes, Claremont PD
• Joe Caro, Building Official
• Jennifer Earl, Community Improvement Coordinator
• Wendy Ramallo, Citizen Representative
The four quarterly reports that were published by the CIT for calendar year 2024 can be found in Attachments B - E of this report.
Year-to-Year Data - Police Calls for Service
Hotel/motel operators are continually encouraged to contact Claremont PD when there is criminal/nuisance activity occurring at their location. In Q3 2023, members of the CIT began compiling and tracking the following data points for each hotel/motel:
• Frequency of police presence (proactive monitoring/not in response to a call for service, identified as “welfare checks” in the Quarterly Reports)
• Police calls for service
• Reported Code or Building violations
• Reports of graffiti and other nuisance activity occurring at or adjacent to property
Below is a summary of the year-to-year data for police-related calls for service and welfare checks.
|
|
Casa 425 |
Claremont Lodge |
Double Tree |
Former Knights Inn/ University Inn |
Motel 6 |
|
2022 Welfare Checks |
0 |
110 |
8 |
118 |
427 |
|
2023 Welfare Checks |
0 |
48 |
6 |
38 |
219 |
|
2024 Welfare Checks |
1 |
31 |
4 |
1 |
195 |
|
2022 Calls for Service |
13 |
94 |
116 |
189 |
359 |
|
2023 Calls for Service |
18 |
71 |
100 |
53 |
208 |
|
2024 Calls for Service |
8 |
41 |
118 |
2 |
196 |
It should be noted that “Calls for Service” include 9-1-1 calls made by individuals at each location. CIT Quarterly Reports contain details on reported Building or Code violations on or adjacent to hotel/motel properties.
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 2024-26 Budget.
CEQA REVIEW
This item is not subject to environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
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
Deputy City Manager
Attachments:
A - Hotel/Motel Ordinance
B - Quarterly Report #1
C - Quarterly Report #2
D - Quarterly Report #3
E - Quarterly Report #4