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AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OFr,II���,(�,,,� LA��,,,„�,
DESERT, CALIFORNIA, ADOPTING CHAPTER 9.25 REGARDING
MULTIPLE RESPONSES TO LOUD OR UNRULY PARTIES,
GATHERINGS OR OTHER SIMILAR�V�NTS
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The City Council of the City of Palm Desert, , �,�,�����
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SECTION 1. t�r<.���a�� ����x�1 ��' :� ---_..-..�.�».._W.._ ._.._r. _--_
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That Chapter 9.25 be and the same is here ' o ^ � ����t�`/. -.
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Desert, California to read as follows: "`� " ��` � "
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MULTIPLE RESPONSES TO LOUD OR UNRULY PARTIES, GATHERINGS OR OTHER
SIMILAR EVENTS
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9.25.010 Declaration of findings and policy. `�`
9.25.020 Loud or unruly gatherings — Public nuisance. �"
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9.25.030 Notice of unruly gatherings — Posting, mail.
9.25.040 Persons liable for subsequent response to a gathering constituting a
public nuisance.
9.25.050 Schedule of civil penalties.
9.25.060 Collection of delinquent costs for a subsequent city response.
Section 9.25.010 Declaration of findings and policy.
It is hereby found and declared that:
A. Due to inadequate supervision, some large gatherings of people, such as
parties, frequently become loud and unruly to the point that they constitute a threat to the
peace, health, safety, or general welfare of the public as a result of conduct such as one
or more of the following: excessive noise, excessive traffic, obstruction of public streets or
crowds who have spilled over into public streets, public drunkenness, the service of alcohol
to minors, fights, disturbances of the peace, and litter.
B. The City of Palm Desert is required to make multiple responses to such unruly
gatherings in order to restore and maintain the peace and protect public safety. Such
gatherings are a burden on scarce city resources and can result in police responses to
regular and emergency calls being delayed and police protection to the rest of the city
being reduced.
C. In order to discourage the occurrence of repeated loud and unruly
gatherings, the persons responsible for the public nuisance created by these gatherings
should be fined.
ORDINANCE NO. 1172
9.25.020 Loud or unruly gatherings — Public nuisance.
It shall be unlawful and a public nuisance to conduct a gathering of ten or more
persons on any private property in a manner which constitutes a substantial disturbance
of the quiet enjoyment of private or public property in a significant segment of a
neighborhood, as a result of conduct constituting a violation of law. Illustrative of such
unlawful conduct is excessive noise or traffic, obstruction of public streets by crowds or
vehicles, public drunkenness, the service of alcohol to minors, fights, disturbances of the
peace, litter. A gathering constituting a public nuisance may be abated by the city by all
reasonable means including, but not limited to, an order requiring the gathering to be
disbanded and citation and/or arrest of any law violators under any applicable local laws
and state statutes.
9.25.030 Notice of unruly gatherings — Posting, mail.
A. When the city intervenes at a gathering which constitutes a public nuisance
under this chapter, the premises at which such nuisance occurred shall be posted with a
Notice substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit "A" stating that a public
nuisance under this chapter was caused by a gathering at the premises, the date and
time of the police intervention, and that any subsequent or second police intervention
with respect to a nuisance under this chapter at said premises, including a second
intervention that same day or night, within 60 days of the first intervention, shall result in
the joint and several liability of any guests causing the public nuisance, persons who are
residents or in control of the property at which the public nuisance occurred, persons
who sponsored the gathering constituting the public nuisance, and owners of the
premises as more fully set forth in sections 9.25.040 — 9.25.060 below. The residents
and persons in control of such property, and the sponsors of the event, shall be
responsible for ensuring that such Notice is not removed or defaced and shall be liable
for a civil penalty of $100 in addition to any other penalties which may be due under this
chapter, if such Notice is removed or defaced, provided, however, that the residents of
the premises or sponsor of the event, if present, shall be consulted as to the location in
which such Notice is posted in order to achieve both the security of the Notice and its
prominent display. The Notice shall remain posted for the entire 60-day period.
B. Notice of the police intervention shall also be mailed to any property owner
at the address shown on the city's property tax assessment records and shall advise the
property owner that any subsequent gathering resulting in a public nuisance within 60
days on the same premises necessitating city intervention shall result in liability of the
property owner for all penalties associated with such intervention as more particularly set
forth below.
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ORDINANCE NO. 1172
EXHIBIT A
IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING
PUBLIC NUISANCE
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT, pursuant to Palm Desert Municipal Code Chapter
(PDMC) 9.25, on:
Date: , 20 , at a.m. /p.m.
The Palm Desert Police Department found that a gathering, at the below-listed premises
caused a public nuisance as defined by PDMC Chapter 9.25 e.g., disturbance of the
peace, threat to public safety, etc.):
Address:
WARNING
IF THE POLICE RESPOND TO ANOTHER DISTURBANCE CONSTITUTING A
NUISANCE (AS DEFINED BY PDMC CHAPTER 9.25)AT THE ABOVE PREMISES
WITHIN 60 DAYS OF THIS NOTICE, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO A
DISTURBANCE LATER TODAY OR TONIGHT, A SUBSEQUENT RESPONSE FEE
WILL BE IMPOSED UPON:
1. ALL GUESTS CAUSING THE NUISANCE
2. ALL SPONSORS OF THE GATHERING
3. ALL RESIDENTS OF THE PREMISES
4. ALL PERSONS IN CONTROL OF THE PREMISES
5. ALL OWNERS OF THE PREMISES THAT RESIDE ON OR ADJACENT TO THE
PREMISES, OR ARE PRESENT AT THE PREMISES WHEN THIS NOTICE IS
FIRST POSTED.
Property owners who do not reside on or adjacent to the above premises, and who are
not present when this Notice is first posted, are also jointly and severally liable for said
fee, if the next disturbance occurs after two weeks after this Notice is mailed to said
owner.
THIS NOTICE MUST REMAIN POSTED ON THE PREMISES FOR 60 DAYS
$100 FINE FOR UNAUTHORIZED REMOVAL OF THIS NOTICE
(Name and Signature of the Officer Issuing This Notice)
(Officer's Phone Number)
Date:
Case Number:
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ORDINANCE NO. 1172
9.25.040 Persons liable for subsequent response to a gathering constituting a
public nuisance.
If the city is required to intervene as to a gathering constituting a public nuisance
on the same premises more than once in any 60-day period, including a second
intervention during the same day or night as the first intervention, the following persons
shall be jointly and severally liable for civil penalties as set forth in Section 9.25.050
below, in addition to liability for any injuries to city personnel or damage to city property.
A. The person or persons who own the premises where the gathering
constituting a public nuisance took place if any of the following are the case: (1) said
owner resides on or adjacent to the premises, (2) said owner was present when the
Notice described in Exhibit "A" was first posted, or (3) the Notice described in Exhibit "A"
was mailed to said owner and fourteen (14) days have elapsed since the date of said
mai{ing. For purposes of this subsection, where a gathering takes place within the
confines of a single unit in a building owned by a housing cooperative, the owner of the
property shall be deemed to be the owner of the single unit and not the members of the
housing cooperative in general. Where the gathering took place in the common area of a
building owned by a housing cooperative, only the members of the cooperative owning
units in the building where the gathering took place shall be deemed the owners of the
property for purposes of this subsection. Other members of the housing cooperative may
still be liable if they fall within the categories of person made liable by section 9.25.040,
subsections B., C., or D., below.
B. The person or persons residing on or otherwise in control of the property
where such gathering took place.
C. The person or persons who organized or sponsored such gathering.
D. All persons attending such gathering who engaged in any activity resulting
in the public nuisance.
E. Nothing in this section shall be construed to impose liability on the resident
or owners of the premises or sponsor of the gathering, for the conduct of persons who are
present without the express or implied consent of the resident or sponsor, as long as the
resident and sponsor have taken all steps reasonably necessary to exclude such uninvited
participants from the premises. Where an invited guest engages in conduct which the
sponsor or resident could not reasonably foresee and the conduct is an isolated instance
of a guest at the event violating the law which the sponsor is unable to reasonably control
without the intervention of the police, the unlawful conduct of the individual guest shall not
be attributable to the sponsor, owner, or resident for the purposes of determining whether
the event constitutes a public nuisance under this section.
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ORDINANCE NO. 1172
F. There shall be no liability for civil penalties under this chapter for a
subsequent intervention during the same day or night as the prior intervention, unless a
reasonable time has been provided to abate the public nuisance, taking into account the
size of the gathering, the time of day, and other relevant factors.
G. There shall be no liability for civil penalties under this chapter for a second
response during the same day or night as the first response when a person who would
otherwise be liable under subdivision (A) seeks assistance from the Police Department to
abate a public nuisance under this Chapter, and the person cooperates fully with the police
while taking reasonable action to abate the public nuisance.
H. If the city is required to intervene at a gathering constituting a public
nuisance on the same premises more than once in any 60-day period, excluding a
second intervention during the same day or night as the first intervention, the 60-day
period shall be extended by another 60 days from the date of the second intervention.
9.25.050 Recovery of subsequent response fee.
A. After given proper notice pursuant to section 9.25.030 and a reasonable
opportunity to abate a gathering constituting a public nuisance, a subsequent response
fee shall be assessed against all persons liable for the city's intervention. The subsequent
response fee shall include:
1. The actual cost to the city of law enforcement services incurred as a
result of a subsequent response;
2. The actual cost of any medical treatment required by a police officer
for injuries sustained during a subsequent response;
3. The cost of repairing or replacing any city equipment or property
damaged or destroyed during a subsequent response.
B. Except as provided in subsection (A) of this section, the subsequent
response fee shall not exceed One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) for any subsequent
response.
C. The remedies set forth in this chapter shall be in addition to any other
penalties imposed by law for particular violations of law committed during the course of an
event which is a public nuisance under this ordinance, provided however, that if the only
violation of law which constituted the public nuisance under this chapter is excessive
noise, the remedies provided under this chapter shall be exclusive of any other remedies
provided by law to the city for such excessive noise.
D. The city shall bill all persons liable for subsequent response fees by mail by
sending a letter in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit "B." Payment of the
fees shall be due within thirty (30) days of the date the bill is deposited in the mail. If full
payment is not received within the required time for payment, the bill will be delinquent,
and all persons liable for the fees shall be charged interest at the maximum legal rate
from the date the payment period expires and a further civil penalty in the amount of
$100.
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ORDINANCE NO. 1172
EXHIBIT B
Date:
To:
Dear:
The City of Palm Desert was required to abate the public nuisance caused by a gathering
of 10 or more persons at (location of property), which substantially disrupted the quiet
enjoyment of property in a significant segment of the adjacent neighborhood. This is the
(second/third/fourth, etc.) such public nuisance at this property within the last 60 days,
and thus, a fee of is imposed on you. If you fail to remit this fine to the city of
Palm Desert by (30 days from the date of this notification) you will be liable for an
additional $100 penalty, plus interest. The payment should be remitted to the address
listed below. Your liability is based on the fact that you were:
[ ] An owner of the property to whom was sent prior notice of a public nuisance at the
property within the previous 60 days; and/or
(] An owner of the property who resided on or adjacent to the property when the public
nuisance took place; and/or
[] An owner of the property who was present when a Notice of a public nuisance was
first posted at the property; and/or
[] A person who resided on or was otherwise in control of the property when the public
nuisance took place there; and/or
[ ] A person who organized or sponsored the event that created the public nuisance at
such property; and/or
[] A person who attended the event constituting the public nuisance at such property
and engaged in the conduct which resulted in the public nuisance.
If you believe that you are not liabte you may defend this claim in the civil action which the
City of Palm Desert will file against you upon your failure to remit the fee. You should be
aware, however, that if you fail to prevail in that action you will be liable for the additional
penalty of$100 and interest on the total fee.
Sincerely yours,
(Name, title, address and phone number of signatory)
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ORDINANCE NO. 1172
9.25.060 Collection of delinquent costs for a subsequent city response.
A. The penalties assessed as a result of a subsequent city response to a
loud or unruly gathering shall constitute a debt of all persons liable for the penalties in
favor of the city and may be collected in any manner authorized by law and are
recoverable in a civil action filed by the city in a court of competent jurisdiction. The
remedies provided by this chapter are in addition to all other civil and criminal remedies
available to the city with respect to the unlawful conduct constituting the public nuisance
which gave rise to the need for the city response under this chapter.
B. The City of Palm Desert may also collect the fees assessed against the
owner of the property as provided in chapter 8.20.11.
9.25.070 False reports prohibited.
A. The police department, fire department, code enforcement, and/ or other
peace officer will respond to a noise complaint. However, filing of false noise
complaints or reports is prohibited, and repeated violators will be liable for the city's
response costs.
B. A false noise complaint or report will be determined based on the false
reporter's intent to annoy or harass and/or the reporter's repeated verifiable false
reports. An intent to annoy or harass is established by proof of repeated calls over a
period of time, however short, that are unreasonable under the circumstances.
C. After the false reporter is given one (1) warning, a subsequent response
fee shall be assessed against the false reporter for the city's intervention in any
subsequent false report within a 60-day period. The subsequent response fee shall
include the actual cost to the city of law enforcement services incurred as a result of a
subsequent response. The city shall bill the false reporter for subsequent response
fees by mail by sending a written citation. Payment of the fees shall be due within thirty
(30) days of the date the bill is deposited in the mail. If full payment is not received
within the required time for payment, the bill will be delinquent, and the false reporter
shall be charged interest at the maximum legal rate from the date the payment period
expires and a further civil penalty in the amount of $100.
D. The penalties assessed as a result of a subsequent city response to a
false complaint or report shall constitute a debt of the false reporter in favor of the city
and may be collected in any manner authorized by law and are recoverable in a civil
action filed by the city in a court of competent jurisdiction. The remedies provided by
this chapter are in addition to all other civil and criminal remedies available to the city
with respect to the false report which gave rise to the need for the city response under
this chapter.
E. In lieu of issuing a subsequent response fee letter, the city may issue an
administrative citation, and/or assess an administrative fine consistent with the
response fee set out above, pursuant to Title 8, Chapter 8.81."
ORDINANCE NO. 1172
SECTION 2. COMPLIANCE WITH CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT
This ordinance complies with the "City of Palm Desert Procedure for
Implementation of California Environmental Quality Act, Resolution No. 02-60", in that
pursuant to Section 3.07, the ordinance is exempt because there is no possibility that
the adoption of the ordinance will have any significant negative effect on the
environment.
SECTION 3. SEVERABILITY
Any provision of this ordinance or the application thereof to any person or
circumstances is held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect other provisions or
applications of this ordinance which can be given effect without the invalid provision or
application, and to this end the provisions of this ordinance are severable. The City
Council hereby declares that it would have adopted this ordinance irrespective of the
invalidity of any particular portion thereof.
SECTION 4. PUBLICATION
The City Clerk of the City of Palm Desert, California, is hereby directed to publish
this ordinance once within fifteen (15) days of adoption in the Desert Sun, a newspaper
of general circulation, published and circulated in the City of Palm Desert, California,
and shall be in full force and effective thirty (30) days after its adoption.
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ORDINANCE NO. 1172
PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED by the Palm Desert City Council this day
of , 2008, by the following vote, to wit:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTAIN:
JEAN M. BENSON, Mayor
ATTEST:
RACHELLE D. KLASSEN, City Clerk
City of Palm Desert, California
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
Best Best & Krieger LLP, City Attorney
City of Palrt� Desert, California
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