HomeMy WebLinkAbout94-56 - Amending Chapter 10.58 of the Newport Beach Municipal Code Pertaining to Police Services at Large Parties, Gatherings or Events on Private PropertyORDINANCE NO. 94 -56
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY
OF NEWPORT BEACH AMENDING CHAPTER 10.58 OF THE
NEWPORT BEACH MUNICIPAL CODE PERTAINING TO
POLICE SERVICES AT LARGE PARTIES, GATHERINGS
OR EVENTS ON PRIVATE PROPERTY.
The City Council of the City of Newport Beach does hereby
is ordain as follows:
SECTION 1: Chapter 10.58 of the Newport Beach Municipal
Code is amended to read:
Sections:
10.58.010 Findings And Purpose.
10.58.020 Definitions.
10.58.030 Police Services At Large Parties, Gatherings
Or Events Requiring A Second Or Subsequent
Response.
10.58.040 Procedures for Imposition of Civil Fines.
10.58.050 Confidentiality.
10.58.060 Severability.
10.58.010 Findings And Purpose. The City Council finds and
declares that:
(a) The control of large parties, gatherings or events on
• private property is necessary when such continued activity is
determined to be a threat to the peace, health, safety or general
welfare of the public.
(b) The City of Newport Beach is a tourist destination with
numerous beach rentals.
(c) This influx of tourists results in many large parties,
gatherings or events.
(d) Frequently, police officers have been required to make
multiple return calls on the same date to the location of a party,
gathering or event in order to disperse uncooperative participants.
(e) Frequently, police officers have been required to make
multiple calls to the same location on different dates in response
• to repeated, large parties and gatherings.
(f) The return of police officers to a location constitutes
a drain of manpower and resources often leaving other areas of the
City without police protection.
(g) The above conditions create a significant hazard to the
safety of the police officers and to peace, health, and safety of
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the public in general.
10.58.020 Definitions. For the purposes of this Chapter, the
following definitions shall apply:
(a) "Large party, gathering or event" means a group of
persons who have assembled or are assembling for a social occasion
is
or for a social activity.
(b) "Owner" shall mean the person(s) or entity(ies) that
hold(s) legal and /or equitable title to the private property.
(c) "Person responsible for the event" means the owner of the
property where the large party, gathering or event takes place, the
person(s) in charge of the premises and /or the person(s) who
organized the event. If the person responsible for the event is a
minor, then the parents or guardians of that minor will be jointly
and severally liable for the fines imposed for the special security
assignment.
(d) "Special security assignment" means the assignment of
• police officers in response to a return or subsequent calls after
the distribution of a written warning that a large party, gathering
or event violates the law.
10.58.030 Police Services At Large Parties, Gatherings Or
Events Requiring A Second or Subsequent Responses. A. No person
shall promote, host, organize or otherwise allow a large party,
gathering or event to occur on private property which is determined
by a police officer to threaten the public peace, health, safety or
general welfare of the neighborhood or surrounding community.
B. The person responsible for the large party, gathering or event
will be held liable for civil fines in amounts established by
resolution of the City Council, for a special security assignment
• by the police, to control the threat to the public peace, health,
safety or general welfare, at any time within any twelve month
period after a first written warning.
The initial call, or any subsequent call, may also result in
the arrest and /or citation of violators of the state Penal Code or
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other local regulations.
10.58.040 Procedures for Imposition of Civil Fines. Civil
fines for special security assignments, as authorized by Section
10.58.030 (B), shall be imposed, in the manner provided in this
• Section.
A. For all violations of Section 10.58.030 where substantial
evidence in support of a violation exists, and a special security
assignment occurs, the Finance Director shall issue written notice
of civil fines imposed in accordance with the resolution of the
City Council. The written notice shall be served on the person
responsible for the party and the owner, if different. The notice
shall specify the facts which, in the opinion of the Finance
Director, constitute substantial evidence to establish grounds for
imposition of the fines, and specify that the fines are effective
30 (thirty) days from the date the notice is given unless an appeal
is filed in writing before the fine becomes effective.
• B. If the person responsible for the event appeals the fine
within the time specified in Subsection A, the City Clerk shall
serve written notice to the person responsible and to the owner, if
different, by first class mail, of the date, time and place for a
hearing on the appeal. The hearing shall be scheduled not less
than fifteen (15) days, nor more than sixty (60) days, from the
date on which notice of the hearing is served by the City Clerk.
The City Manager may preside over the hearing or may designate a
hearing officer to take evidence and submit proposed findings and
recommendations to the City Manager. The City Manager shall
uphold the fine only upon a finding that a violation has been
proven by a preponderance of the evidence. The hearing shall be
conducted according to the rules normally applicable to
• administrative hearings. The City Manager shall render a decision
within thirty (30) days of the hearing and the decision shall be
final.
10.58.050 Confidentiality. Information furnished and secured
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•
pursuant to this Chapter shall be confidential in character and
shall not be subject to public inspection and shall be kept so that
the contents thereof shall not be known except to person charged
with the administration of this Chapter.
10.58.060 Severability. If any section, subsection,
sentence, clause, phrase or portion of this Chapter is for any
reason held to be invalid or unconstitutional by the decision of
any court of competent jurisdiction, such decision shall not affect
the validity of the remaining portions of this Chapter. The City
Council hereby declares that it would have adopted the ordinance
codified in this Chapter and each section, subsection, sentence,
clause, phrase or portion thereof irrespective of the fact that any
one or more sections, subsections, sentences, clauses, phrases or
portions be declare invalid or unconstitutional.
SECTION 2: The Mayor shall sign and the City Clerk shall
attest to the passage of this ordinance. The City Clerk shall
cause the same to be published once in the official newspaper of
the City, and it shall be effective thirty (30) days after its
adoption.
SECTION 3: This ordinance was introduced at a regular
meeting of the City Council of the City of Newport Beach, held on
the 12th day of December , 1994, and adopted on the 9th day of
January , 1995, by the following vote, to wit:
ATT i
CITY CLERK-- —rv-
AYES, COUNCILMEMBERS EDWARDS, WATT,
DEBAY, COX, GLOVER�0'NEIL
NOES, COUNCILMEMBERS NONE
ABSENT COUNCILMEMBERS HEDGES
MAYOR `sue( L.>
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