HomeMy WebLinkAbout1546ORDINANCE NO. 1546 (2010 Series)
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO ADDING CHAPTER 9.13 OF
THE SAN LUIS OBISPO MUNICIPAL CODE TO PROHIBIT UNRULY GATHERINGS
WHEREAS, the Council of the City of San Luis Obispo met in the Council Chamber of
City Hall, 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, California, on April 6, 2010, for the purpose of
considering changes proposed to the Municipal Code.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED by the Council of the City of San Luis
Obispo as follows:
SECTION 1. New Chapter 9.13 (Unruly Gatherings) of Title 9 (Public Peace, Morals
and Welfare) of the San Luis Obispo Municipal Code is hereby adopted to read as follows:
Chapter 9.13
UNRULY GATHERINGS
Sections:
9.13.010
Declaration of Policy
9.13.020
Definitions
9.13.030
Prohibition of Unruly Gatherings
9.13.040
Notice of Unruly Gathering — Mailing to Property Owner
9.13.050
Persons Liable for a Response to an Unruly Gathering
9.13.060
Enforcement
9.13.070
Collection of Delinquent Costs
9.13.010 Declaration of Policy
A. In order to control unnecessary disturbances caused by unruly gatherings in the city, it is
declared to be the policy of the city to prohibit unruly gatherings that create a substantial
disturbance of the quiet enjoyment of private or public property in a significant segment of a
neighborhood as specified in this chapter.
B. It is determined that unruly gatherings are detrimental to the public health, welfare and
safety, and are contrary to the public interest. Therefore, the council declares that creating,
maintaining, causing, or allowing to be created, maintained, or caused, any unruly gathering in a
manner prohibited by or not in conformity with the provisions of this chapter is a public nuisance
and shall be punishable as such in any manner provided by law, including but not necessarily
limited to the filing of a civil or criminal action.
9.13.020 Definitions
For the purpose of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply:
A. "Gathering," means a group of persons who have assembled or are assembling for a party
or social event, occasion or activity on private property.
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Ordinance No. 1546 (2010 Series)
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B. "Responsible person" means and includes, but is not limited to: (1) the person who owns,
rents, leases, or otherwise has legal control of the property where the gathering takes place, or (2)
the person who caused the gathering to occur.
C. "Juvenile" means and includes any person under the age of eighteen (18).
D. "Minor" means and includes any person at least 18 years old but under the age of twenty -
one (21).
E. "Unruly gatherings" shall mean a gathering of twenty or more persons on private
property that results in conduct that causes a substantial disturbance of the quiet enjoyment of
private or public property in a significant segment of a neighborhood, including, but not limited
to, conduct that results in excessive noise as defined in Chapter 9.12, obstruction of public streets
or rights of way by people or vehicles, public drunkenness, unlawful possession of alcohol or
drugs, serving alcohol to minors, fights, disturbances of the peace, urinating or defecating in
public, setting off fireworks, vandalism, and littering on public property or private property not
belonging to the host of the gathering.
9.13.030 Unruly Gatherings Prohibited.
It shall be unlawful and constitute a public nuisance, as defined in Chapter 8.24, for any
responsible person(s) to cause or allow an unruly gathering to occur on any private property
within the city. An unruly gathering may be abated by the city by all reasonable means including,
but not limited to, an order requiring the unruly gathering to be disbanded, the issuance of
citations, and /or the arrests of any law violators under any applicable local laws and State
statutes.
9.13.040 Notice of Unruly Gathering — Mailing to Property Owner
When a peace officer has determined that an unruly gathering has occurred, the police
department shall mail a notice to the owner of the property where the unruly gathering occurred.
The notice shall advise the property owner(s) that any subsequent violation of this chapter at the
same property may result in the property owner being subject to administrative action and
penalties as defined in this chapter.
9.13.050 Persons Liable for a Response to an Unruly Gathering
If the city is required to respond to an unruly gathering, the following persons shall be jointly
and severally liable for civil penalties as set forth in Section 9.13.060, in addition to liability for
any injuries to city personnel or damage to city property:
A. The person or persons who own the property where the unruly gathering took place,
provided that notice has been mailed to the owner of the property as set forth herein and a
subsequent unruly gathering occurs at least two weeks after the mailing of such notice.
B. The responsible person or persons, provided, however, that if the responsible person is a
juvenile, then the parents or guardians of the juvenile will be jointly and severally liable for
penalties and liabilities herein.
C. Nothing in this section shall be construed to impose liability on a property owner or
responsible person for the conduct of persons who are present without the express or implied
consent of the property owner /responsible person as long as the property owner /responsible
person has taken reasonable steps to exclude such uninvited participants from the property.
Where an invited person engages in conduct which the property owner /responsible person could
not reasonably foresee and the conduct is an isolated instance of a person at the gathering
Ordinance No. 1546 (2010 Series)
Page 3
violating the law which the property owner /responsible person is unable to reasonably control
without the intervention of the police, the unlawful conduct of that person shall not be
attributable to the property owner /responsible person for the purposes of determining whether the
gathering constitutes an unruly gathering .
9.13.060 Enforcement
A. Any unruly gathering as defined in Section 9.13.020 E of this chapter shall be deemed to
be prima facie evidence of a violation of the provisions of this chapter.
B. Any violation of this chapter shall be a misdemeanor and is subject to criminal, civil or
administrative enforcement as provided in this Code. Each hour such violation is committed or is
permitted to continue shall constitute a separate offense and may be punishable as such.
C. If administrative enforcement is initiated in accordance with chapter 1.24 of this code,
penalties shall be assessed against all responsible persons liable for the city's intervention to
abate an unruly gathering in the following amounts:
1. The initial violation of this chapter will result in a penalty in the sum of seven
hundred dollars ($700.00) against responsible persons, other than the owner(s) of the
property who was not present and responsible for the gathering.
2. Subsequent violations of this chapter in any 12 -month period following the date of
the first violation will result in a penalty of one thousand dollars ($1000.00) against
responsible persons, other than the owner(s) of the property who was not present and
responsible for the gathering.
3. The person(s) who owns the property where the unruly gathering took place will be
assessed a penalty of five hundred dollars ($500.00) provided the owner(s) was not present
during the gathering, and proper notice of a prior violation at the property was provided to
the owner pursuant to section 9.13.040 of this chapter.
4. The administration citation penalties provided herein shall be in addition to any other
penalties imposed by law for particular violations of law committed during the course of an
unruly gathering.
D. Continued Violations. Once a peace officer has determined there has been a violation of
this chapter, the owner(s) of the property where the violation occurred may be subject to
administrative action for allowing a subsequent violation of this chapter to occur on the property
provided the property owner has received notice as required by section 9.13.040 of this chapter,
and at least 14 days have elapsed since the date the notice was mailed to the property owner(s).
The city may defer or delay administrative action against any property owner who can
demonstrate due diligence in preventing future unruly gatherings, such as evicting those
responsible for such gatherings.
9.13.070 Collection of Delinquent Costs
The penalties assessed as a result of a city response to an 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 chapter 1.24 of this code.
SECTION 2. A summary of this ordinance, approved by the City Attorney, together
with the names of Council members voting for and against, shall be published at least five (5)
days prior to adoption in The Tribune, a newspaper published and circulated in this City. This
ordinance shall go into effect at the expiration of thirty (30) days after its final passage. A copy
Ordinance No. 1546 (2010 Series)
Page 4
of the full text of this ordinance shall be on file in the City Clerk's Office on and after the date
following introduction and adoption and shall be made available to any interested member of the
public.
INTRODUCED on the 6th day of April 2010, AND FINALLY ADOPTED by the
Council of the City of San Luis Obispo on the 20th day of April 2010, on the following vote:
AYES: Council Members Marx and Settle, Vice Mayor Carter and Mayor Romero
NOES: Council Member Ashbaugh
ABSENT: None
ATTEST:
Elaina Cano
City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
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City Attorney
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