REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
DATE: 08/21/2024
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Planning and Development Department
SUBJECT:
Title
RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING AN APPLICATION FEE FOR SOLICITOR PERMITS AND SIDEWALK VENDOR PERMITS AND AN IMPOUND FEE FOR THE RELEASE OF IMPOUNDED SIDEWALK VENDING RECEPTACLES, FOOD, AND MERCHANDISE
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This staff report asks the City Council to adopt Resolution 2024-070 approving an application fee for solicitor and sidewalk vendor permits and an impound fee for the release of impounded sidewalk vending receptacles, food, and merchandise. The City Council at its meeting on July 3, 2024, adopted an urgency ordinance establishing new operating standards and permitting process for sidewalk vendors and solicitors, including a temporary permit fee and impound fee. Resolution 2024-070 will officially establish the City’s permit fee for sidewalk vendors and solicitors and impound fee for sidewalk vending receptacles, food, and merchandise.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommended action
That the City Council adopt Resolution No. 2024-070, establishing an application fee for solicitor permits and sidewalk vendor permits and an impound fee for the release of impounded sidewalk vending receptacles, food, and merchandise.
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BACKGROUND & HISTORY:
The City Council at its meeting on July 3, 2024, adopted Urgency Ordinance 3398 and approved regular Ordinance 3399 establishing new sidewalk vending operating requirements in Chapter 5.35 of the Corona Municipal Code (CMC) and updating the City’s existing solicitor requirements in Chapter 5.34 of the CMC.
Prior to the adoption of Urgency Ordinance 3398, the sidewalk vendor and solicitor permit applications were reviewed, approved, and issued by the Police Department. This process has now changed, and the Planning and Development Department is responsible for the review and issuance of sidewalk vendor and solicitor permits. Since the Police Department is no longer responsible for reviewing and issuing these permits, the City permit application fee needed to be changed to reflect the time taken by the actual City official reviewing the application and issuing the permit. The impound fee is a new fee based on the City’s authority to impound sidewalk vending receptacles, food, and merchandise according to the criteria listed in CMC Section 5.35.100.
The City Council at its meeting on August 7, 2024, held a public hearing to establish the fee for applications for solicitor permits and sidewalk vendor permits and the impound fee for the recovery of impounded materials. The City Council continued the public hearing to the meeting on August 21, 2024.
ANALYSIS:
The proposed permit application fee for a sidewalk vendor and solicitor is $67.00. The previous fee was $236, which was based on the amount of time and overhead cost associated with the application review and the issuance of the permit by the Police Department. The permit application is now reviewed and issued by the Planning and Development Department, which has been streamlined to align with the state law adopted for sidewalk vending. This streamlined permit process is also reflected in CMC Chapter 5.35. The review of the solicitor permit application was also streamlined and requires the same amount of time to review and process a permit as a sidewalk vendor.
The impound fee for the recovery of impounded sidewalk vending receptacles, food, and merchandise is $275.00.
Both fees do not exceed the estimated reasonable cost of the service provided by City officials.
PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE:
A 10-day public notice was provided in the Sentinel newspaper and published on July 19 and 26, 2024.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The sidewalk vendor and solicitor permit application fee is being reduced from $236 to $67 due to the less amount of time and less number of City officials reviewing the permit application. Historically, the City has issued five to seven sidewalk vendor and solicitor permits annually. As such, the new permit application fee will have a negligible impact on the City’s General Fund revenues and fund balance.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
This action is exempt pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the Guidelines for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which states that a project is exempt from CEQA if the activity is covered by the general rule that CEQA applies only to projects that have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA. This action adopts a permit application fee and impound fee for sidewalk vendors and solicitors, which is a ministerial application, and approving this resolution will have no significant effect on the environment. Therefore, no environmental analysis is required.
PREPARED BY: JOANNE COLETTA, PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
Attachments:
1. Exhibit 1 - Resolution No. 2024-070