TO: CITY COUNCIL
FROM: ADAM PIRRIE, CITY MANAGER
DATE: APRIL 8, 2025
Reviewed by:
City Manager: AP
SUBJECT:
Title
CONSIDER EXTENDING AN URGENCY ORDINANCE TEMPORARILY SUSPENDING REQUIREMENTS IN THE HOTEL/MOTEL ORDINANCE (CMC CHAPTER 16.101) THAT INTERFERE WITH HOTELS AND MOTELS RENTING ROOMS TO INDIVIDUALS DISPLACED BY WILDFIRES IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY (FUNDING SOURCE: GENERAL FUND)
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SUMMARY
Starting on January 7, 2025, a series of devastating wildfires ignited across Southern California. The fires burned over 57,000 acres, destroyed or damaged over 18,000 structures, and tragically resulted in at least 27 deaths. Thousands of residents of Los Angeles County are displaced because of the fires through the loss of their homes. On January 27, 2025, Governor Gavin Newsom issued Executive Order N-14-25, temporarily allowing displaced individuals to remain classified as short-term (or transient) occupants rather than tenants when they stay beyond thirty days in a hotel or motel. On March 7, 2025, Governor Newsom extended this portion of the order (Section 3) to be in effect from March 8, 2025 to July 1, 2025.
Hotels and motels in Claremont can provide lodging for a number of families who cannot return to their homes as a result of the fires. The City’s Hotel/Motel Ordinance codified in Chapter 16.101 of the Claremont Municipal Code establishes a number of registration requirements and a thirty-day limit for stays in Claremont hotels/motels (with exceptions for hotels/motels that have conditional use permits allowing long-term stays). In response to these concerns, on February 11, 2025, the Claremont City Council adopted an Urgency Ordinance that temporarily suspended parts of the Hotel/Motel Ordinance that were interfering with the hotels’ and motels’ ability to rent rooms to individuals and families who were displaced by the LA County wildfires. To date, the Urgency Ordinance’s suspension of parts of the Hotel/Motel Ordinance has not resulted in any increase in criminal or nuisance activity.
While the Urgency Ordinance is still currently in effect until April 9, 2025, the City Council directed staff to return prior to April 9 so that the City Council could consider extending its term. Due to the extension of Executive Order N-14-25 through July 1, 2025, and the fact that there has not been an increase in criminal or nuisance activity in Claremont since the adoption of the Urgency Ordinance, staff recommends that the City Council extend the term of the Urgency Ordinance to automatically terminate on July 1, 2025.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommended Action
Staff recommends the City Council:
A. Adopt AN URGENCY ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CLAREMONT, CALIFORNIA, ENACTED PURSUANT TO CALIFORNIA GOVERNMENT CODE SECTIONS 36934 AND 36937 EXTENDING TEMPORARY SUSPENSION OF REQUIREMENTS IN THE HOTEL/MOTEL ORDINANCE (CMC CHAPTER 16.101) THAT INTERFERE WITH HOTELS AND MOTELS RENTING ROOMS TO GUESTS DISPLACED BY WILDFIRES IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY (Ordinance No. 2025-01) to automatically terminate on July 1, 2025; and
B. Find this item is exempt from environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
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ALTERNATIVES TO RECOMMENDATION
In addition to the recommendation, there are the following alternatives:
A. Request additional information.
B. Take no action, in which case the Urgency Ordinance will automatically terminate on April 9, 2025.
C. Amend the Urgency Ordinance to terminate on a date other than July 1, 2025.
FINANCIAL REVIEW
Hotel/motel stays in Claremont of thirty days or fewer are subject to a ten percent Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT). During the period Section 3 of Executive Order N-14-25 is in effect, guests impacted by the wildfires who stay at Claremont hotels/motels for more than thirty days would be subject to the TOT for the entire duration of their stay.
The staff cost to prepare this report and administer this program is estimated at $1,500 and is included in the operating budget of the Administrative Services Department.
ANALYSIS
Starting on January 7, 2025, a series of devastating wildfires ignited across Southern California. The fires caused significant loss of life, displacement of residents, and widespread property damage and destruction, including homes, businesses, and critical infrastructure.
Authorities of impacted jurisdictions issued mandatory evacuation orders for communities directly threatened by the advancing wildfires. These orders required residents to leave their homes immediately for their safety. Over 212,000 residents are displaced from their homes due to the fires.
On January 27, 2025, Governor Gavin Newsom issued Executive Order N-14-25, temporarily allowing displaced individuals to remain classified as short-term (or transient) occupants rather than tenants when they stay in a hotel or motel beyond thirty days. On March 7, 2025, Governor Newsom extended this portion of the order (Section 3) to be in effect from March 8, 2025 to July 1, 2025. Hotels and motels in Claremont can provide lodging for a number of families who cannot return to their homes as a result of the fires. The City’s Hotel/Motel Ordinance codified in Chapter 16.101 of the Claremont Municipal Code establishes a number of registration requirements and a thirty-day limit for stays in Claremont hotels/motels (with exceptions for hotels/motels that have conditional use permits allowing long-term stays). In response to these concerns, on February 11, 2025, the Claremont City Council adopted an Urgency Ordinance that temporarily suspended parts of the Hotel/Motel Ordinance that were interfering with the hotels’ and motels’ ability to rent rooms to individuals and families who were displaced by the LA County wildfires. The Urgency Ordinance is currently set to terminate on April 9, 2025.
Section 16.101.020(B)(1) of the City’s Municipal Code establishes a limit on hotel/motel stays to thirty days or fewer, unless a hotel/motel has applied for and been granted a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) to provide for an exception to this limit. To date, only two establishments have an approved CUP with this exception - Hotel Casa 425 and the Residence Inn by Marriott, which is under construction. Chapter 16.101 also imposes registration requirements for hotel guests that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and at least one local motel report have resulted in the motel needing to decline to rent rooms to individuals and families displaced by wildfires. For example, many displaced individuals and families fled their homes without the identification documents and/or credit card needed to rent a hotel or motel room in Claremont. (See CMC § 16.101.040(B)(2)-(3).)
The Urgency Ordinance temporarily allows the hotels/motels in Claremont to rent to individuals and families displaced by the January 2025 wildfires for periods longer than thirty days and temporarily suspends other requirements in Chapter 16.101 that are interfering with local hotels and motels renting rooms to guests displaced by the recent fires. While the Urgency Ordinance is still currently in effect until April 9, 2025, the City Council directed staff to return prior to April 9 so that the City Council could consider extending the Urgency Ordinance.
Staff contacted hotels and motels that are currently operating in Claremont - Hotel Casa 425, DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Claremont, Claremont Lodge, and Motel 6. Staff asked for feedback from hotel/motel operators regarding usage of the Urgency Ordinance. Specifically, staff asked each operator if they were currently renting room(s) to known wildfire victims. At the time of this report, only the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Claremont currently houses wildfire victims, indicating that they currently have one displaced family staying at the hotel. If the term of the Urgency Ordinance is extended additional evacuees could also be housed at Claremont hotels/motels.
Using police calls for service, the City’s Hotel/Motel Ordinance Interdepartmental Team (CIT) conducted an analysis to evaluate whether there were increased reports of criminal or nuisance activity occurring at hotels/motels after the City Council adopted the Urgency Ordinance on February 11, 2025. The CIT found that police calls for service have decreased in the weeks following the City Council’s adoption of the Urgency Ordinance, suggesting that the temporary suspension of certain parts of the Hotel/Motel Ordinance for people displaced by wildfires did not result in criminal or nuisance activities. Below is a summary of that data:
30 days “pre” Urgency Ordinance adoption - 1/12/25 through 2/11/25
Hotel Casa 425
• Officer initiated activity (welfare checks) - 0
• Police calls for service - 2
Claremont Lodge
• Officer initiated activity (welfare checks) - 5
• Police calls for service - 5
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Claremont
• Officer initiated activity (welfare checks) - 0
• Police calls for service - 4
Motel 6
• Officer initiated activity (welfare checks) - 23
• Police calls for service - 28
30 days “post” Urgency Ordinance adoption - 2/12/25 through 3/12/25
Hotel Casa 425
• Officer initiated activity (welfare checks) - 0
• Police calls for service - 1
Claremont Lodge
• Officer initiated activity (welfare checks) - 3
• Police calls for service - 1
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Claremont
• Officer initiated activity (welfare checks) - 1
• Police calls for service - 1
Motel 6
• Officer initiated activity (welfare checks) - 22
• Police calls for service - 12
Due to the extension of Executive Order N-14-25, and the fact that there has not been an increase in hotel/motel-related criminal or nuisance activity in Claremont since the adoption of the Urgency Ordinance, staff recommends that the City Council extend the term of the Urgency Ordinance to automatically terminate on July 1, 2025. The City Council could also terminate the Urgency Ordinance sooner.
Adoption of the extension of the Urgency Ordinance requires a four-fifths (4/5) vote of the City Council, and the extended Urgency Ordinance would go into effect immediately upon adoption.
LEGAL REVIEW
The City Attorney has reviewed and approved the Urgency Ordinance as amended.
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.
CEQA REVIEW
The extension of this Urgency Ordinance is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) under State CEQA Guidelines Section 15060(c)(2), in that the extension of this Ordinance will not result in a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment, and is further and independently exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act under State CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3), in that it can be seen with certainty there is no possibility the adoption of this Ordinance will have a significant effect on the environment.
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: Prepared by:
Adam Pirrie Katie Wand
City Manager Deputy City Manager
Attachment:
Urgency Ordinance