[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6272185,"mediaKeyId","3028075-a148743ff527c64915846d680c84c9f1","parentId",3028075,"title","Pacifica council narrows short-term rental rules, signals 60-night cap and tighter operator rules","audioSeconds",2457,"startMs",3375000,"endMs",918000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3028075-a148743ff527c64915846d680c84c9f1&start=3375&end=918","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3028075-a148743ff527c64915846d680c84c9f1/thumbnail_3375000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6272185/Pacifica/San-Mateo-County/California/Pacifica-council-narrows-short-term-rental-rules-signals-60-night-cap-and-tighter-operator-rules","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6272185-7d6f3140c28301f816961bdad4af0b21/orig.mp4?Expires=1771164278&Signature=Ub9FAHWD~I2axZZ7lOhu4GhzLBEU0O0GbsnHtnU2uwBjlXM6pOjDoMtwbeTzLDzvobhcDZWVoi0uDlYqxruEdu8tiHY9kajZLI-oQueyu7782GH2xvNntnzeTKBQP7SmMsrqN9zJAazA6WJJ6sMXhsTfKEYOGdDcOsDn6E7jacBpAdRMdtgB3SI2iYMXDKGOI7P5rI5mwr8HmqS23Mtdo-I-31WkB-gFvGyMTkQRQgM3233Cjz13lOYkgmrYtB64H2-9xXTKfFCJZ2hJFEQ76KUdDEJKeV0Fcqomnj7crQhs7jPSG60JN2rGzHeWZD6cnWUeW1PjeLfvcW-U8P~ATw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Pacifica CA","date","2025-04-17T00:25:07.803Z","article","Pacifica’s City Council spent the April 14 continuation hearing on short‑term rentals narrowing several major policy choices and giving staff firm direction to draft a revised ordinance for Planning Commission review and later City Council hearings.

Council members signaled they want a 60‑night annual cap on short‑term rentals (STRs), tighter limits on how operators may use accessory dwelling units, clarified occupancy limits that exclude young children, and stronger local response and accountability requirements for operators and platform listings. The council did not adopt a final ordinance tonight; staff will revise the draft and return it to the Planning Commission and then to council, and the city will submit any local coastal plan (LCP) amendment required by the California Coastal Commission after council adoption.

The direction matters because the council’s choices will affect coastal‑zone rental availability, enforcement needs and how the city balances housing supply with visitor lodging. Community Development Director Samantha Updegrave told the council the city is now focusing deliberations on “the maximum rental nights, allowing ADUs to be the primary residence for hosted STRs, occupancy limits, and complaint response time.” She said staff will incorporate the council’s direction and take the revised ordinance to the Planning Commission for review before returning it to council.

On the number of nights: City Attorney Denise told the council that Coastal Commission staff had not insisted on a specific cap and would expect Pacifica to document its rationale. Nonetheless, most council members indicated they preferred 60 nights over the 90‑night option presented earlier. “A decision about 60 nights versus 90 nights is a very direct financial impact to the program,” Denise warned, and Council Member Wright and others acknowledged the city’s ongoing budget pressure while saying they favored a lower cap to reduce speculative profitability.

On occupancy and families: Council agreed on an occupancy formula of two people per legally permitted bedroom, with children under age 6 excluded from the count. Council Member Beere urged the change to preserve access for families with young children, saying parents often need flexible sleeping arrangements. Staff noted enforcement challenges for any age‑based rule but recorded the council’s direction.

Hosted/unhosted rules, ADUs and operators: Council directed staff to close a potential loophole that could arise when a host lives in an ADU while short‑term‑renting the main house. After discussion with staff and the city attorney, council members instructed revisions to make clear that operators must be on‑site in the primary residence for hosted STRs (not the ADU) and that ADUs cannot serve as the permitted STR unit when the primary residence is effectively being short‑term‑rented. Council also instructed staff to add a definition of “natural person” and to require the operator (the person responsible for the permit and compliance) to be a natural person rather than a corporate shell.

Responsible‑party response and signage: Council kept the requirement that every STR have a local, 24/7 responsible party who is reachable and “able to respond at the short term rental within a reasonable time (30 minutes) to any complaint regarding condition, operation or conduct of occupants,” and to take remedial action where necessary. Staff proposed, and council supported, a uniform exterior sign (weatherproof, up to 2 square feet) with the short‑term rental permit number and a QR code linking to contact and compliance information; the Planning Commission had recommended a template sign to standardize that requirement.

Insurance, platforms and public listings: The council asked staff to require a certificate of insurance to be submitted with permit applications so operators notify insurers that the property is used commercially. Council also asked staff to maintain a public list of permitted STR addresses (staff suggested a simple, dated address list rather than a live GIS map until public‑facing GIS capability is available) and noted the ordinance language on platform accountability modeled on Santa Monica’s approach.

Enforcement, noise and other technical issues: Council members agreed not to create a new noise numeric standard in the ordinance and to rely on the city’s existing noise code and enforcement tools; they also asked staff to preserve language that allows the city to rely on established enforcement (strikes, permit suspensions, fines) when operators fail to respond appropriately. Staff will draft the revised ordinance text and return it for Planning Commission review and council public hearings; a Coastal Commission LCP amendment will also be required for the coastal zone.

Next steps: Staff will incorporate the council’s directions into a revised draft ordinance and return it to the Planning Commission for review. Following Planning Commission recommendation, council will hold a new public hearing and, if adopted, the ordinance will require an LCP amendment to be filed with the California Coastal Commission. The draft will also contain the implementation details the council requested — signage, primary‑residence documentation, insurance certificates and a public listing of permitted addresses.

Ending: Council members and staff emphasized the technical complexity of the changes and the need to document local rationale for thresholds the Coastal Commission will review. Samantha Updegrave closed the staff report by asking for any further council priorities to refine the draft; council members added a few technical clarifications and asked staff to return the revised text and implementation procedures to the Planning Commission before returning to council.
","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","PCC 4/14/25 - Pacifica City Council Meeting - April 14, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Pacifica’s City Council spent a continuation hearing on April 14 narrowing major choices in a proposed short‑term rental ordinance, directing staff to prepare a draft that would cap rentals at 60 nights per year, require local 30‑minute responsible‑party responses, exclude children under 6 from occupancy counts, require a signed insurance certificate with permit applications, and prohibit operators from using ADUs as the primary hosted residence.","taxTitle","Pacifica, San Mateo County, California","taxId",54263,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6272175,"Pacifica staff flags structural budget shortfall; recommends short‑term uses of one‑time revenue and longer‑term revenue strategies",520,10760000,11280000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3028075-a148743ff527c64915846d680c84c9f1&start=10760&end=11280","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3028075-a148743ff527c64915846d680c84c9f1/thumbnail_10760000.jpg","/articles/6272175/Pacifica/San-Mateo-County/California/Pacifica-staff-flags-structural-budget-shortfall-recommends-shortterm-uses-of-onetime-revenue-and-longerterm-revenue-strategies","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6272175-d4014c5fc26f4395152522197a3cdff8/orig.mp4?Expires=1771164278&Signature=RG2cOKy914MuP2enkZX45ZtQjYPBl7znh5K76s1YHhvXeipQy1g9GHOJWyWeNEJIq3H4TcX5qH~pekIe3j9VJd4swrG6q42ojKQZ4p8~2x3KgPatNyx4Cz5mzK33U~TUoDO5DWt83Pc4eaz-JCzyLMhoIOThfRS1v8eZ8C2QPCvTuqK2KAsjRlD81AK-FcgRClU64Pfs5bVkVJLq2q9Kru6NdLnXrjj7dekRkbTShsg5I~7Giz5oPahvSXkrewl1X4bTJcdDSb7W0bTvOQjqB9J-rbyjzzFMFG~Yjc-aYSlvD4gLzE4qHhy-lpD6vdfNgNHIyD5Ahr~1il9vRTTjZA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Pacifica staff told the City Council on April 14 that the city faces a structural budget gap that will widen in coming years without a mix of short‑term patching and longer‑term revenue growth. Assistant City Manager Yulia Carter and City Manager Kevin Woodhouse presented the long‑term financial forecast and proposed preliminary budget strategies to guide the FY2025–26 budget process.

The staff forecast shows operating expenditures outpacing revenues under current service levels; staff emphasized the problem is not a single line item but a sustained gap driven by rising operating costs and flat or uncertain recurring revenues. Carter told councilors the forecast assumes current services continue, and it excludes any new, unapproved service enhancements or capital investments. The presentation reiterated that some revenue streams (notably vehicle license fee/ERAF backfills and short‑term rental/TOT receipts) are variable and the city’s financial plan must address that uncertainty.

Three preliminary strategies presented to council: retain VLF/ERAF backfill in general fund (short term), set aside an assigned general‑fund reserve to mitigate the risk if the state’s ERAF/VLF backfill does not materialize, and prioritize longer‑term revenue generation by facilitating property and hotel development and other tax‑yielding growth.

1) VLF/ERAF treatment. Staff recommended, on a short‑term basis, keeping the city’s VLF/ERAF (vehicle license fee / ERAF) backfill revenues in the general fund to help cover operating costs rather than directing them to restricted or quasi‑restricted funds. Council received a staff note that several nearby Bay Area cities use VLF/ERAF revenues for general‑fund purposes; staff emphasized this is a short‑term, pragmatic step to avoid immediate service cuts while pursuing longer‑term solutions.

2) Risk‑mitigation reserve. Because the state’s VLF/ERAF payments are subject to change, staff proposed assigning a portion of the general‑fund balance as a designated reserve to backfill the city’s operating budget if the state fails to make the expected payments. In practice the city would budget the expected VLF/ERAF receipts to balance next year’s budget but simultaneously assign contingency resources so the city could cover a revenue shortfall without emergency cuts if the payments do not arrive.

3) Prioritize revenue‑generating development. Staff reiterated the council’s strategic‑plan direction that long‑term stability requires expanding the city’s tax base. That implies aggressive, long‑range work to facilitate residential and visitor‑serving (hotel/TOT) development and to seek other taxable development and economic‑development projects that increase property tax and sales tax receipts. Woodhouse told the council that large‑scale development, if successfully facilitated and consistent with planning rules, would generate recurring property tax revenue that helps close the long‑term structural deficit.

Next steps: staff will return to council on May 12 with a detailed base budget, the capital improvement program (CIP) for Planning Commission review, and refined assumptions. Council will then have a second and third study session before adopting the FY2025–26 budget. Staff also noted the need for clearer public explanations and increased transparency on the forecast, and agreed to provide more thorough details at the next study session.

Public comment: speakers urged transparency, urged the city to pursue revenue‑generating projects (including potential quarry redevelopment and reuse of city sites), and asked for staff to make detailed budget materials publicly accessible to allow community members and qualified volunteers to help review the books.

Ending: Council did not adopt budget measures tonight but instructed staff to incorporate council feedback into the May budget study session. Staff also will examine reserve levels and present options for using one‑time and uncertain revenues to bridge near‑term operating needs while preserving fiscal discipline and pursuing long‑term revenue solutions.","City staff told the council the long‑term financial forecast shows a structural shortfall that will widen without action. Staff proposed three preliminary approaches: (1) temporarily retain Vehicle License Fee/ERAF (VLF) backfill revenues in the general fund to help balance near‑term operations; (2) set aside an assigned reserve to mitigate the",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6272181,"Pacifica council adopts updated 2023–2030 strategic plan; staff to refine timelines and workplan",1205,9577000,10782000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3028075-a148743ff527c64915846d680c84c9f1&start=9577&end=10782","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3028075-a148743ff527c64915846d680c84c9f1/thumbnail_9577000.jpg","/articles/6272181/Pacifica/San-Mateo-County/California/Pacifica-council-adopts-updated-20232030-strategic-plan-staff-to-refine-timelines-and-workplan","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6272181-983836a4a262e834212b17cf9fcbfa63/orig.mp4?Expires=1771164278&Signature=Y-bdrPM8MYkdGibKhH4H4uOjXCKKfcxQPHOq4aqlBDJq6nYwiqh8BrsWNRF4Y~Xqhm9mCkIWjDg4GCcm3uLPXyHOkMscEitK3ix39sd6jaj-y9LA28b3j2DvD179-EvkVMw6h~0QoEKvSjCzHD7Yo5U4azWn7NOdXYslHlQAnjxCiQkG8rRbKADelUaPPi9cIpKbKUdDvoczmV-ZUmbzIuGbM6nOB2DUoj5NN5KKFTB9WsaE9JTgUUDK0M8MSTRR9kTD3CpGxRZX7bojOEY59ZUbZOMFBKC0QDGapIdkKh-v5ma9go4xnPfwUxHOlTu~RUS7KAqt1cdB~07-~yE~2A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Pacifica City Council on April 14 unanimously adopted updates to the city’s 2023–2030 strategic plan, formalizing small wording and structure changes and asking staff to return with more detailed implementation timelines and a public schedule for monitoring progress.

The update affirms the plan’s mission, vision and five goals — organizational and fiscal stability; infrastructure and facilities; affordable housing; climate adaptation and mitigation; and community engagement — and revises several strategies and the staff workplan to reflect progress and new near‑term priorities. Facilitator Greg Larson presented the council’s March workshop outcomes and staff’s updated ACHIEVEit workplan; council approved the recommended changes and directed staff to refine project timelines and public reporting.

“Enhancing organizational and fiscal stability remains the top priority,” City Manager Kevin Woodhouse told the council, and the adopted plan reiterates that objective as the foundation for achieving the other four goals. Larson said staff updated strategy language to reflect accomplishments to date (for example, moving from “develop” to “adopt and begin implementation” on climate and coastal planning milestones) and to broaden or clarify several tasks the council had prioritized at the March 1 workshop.

Council members asked staff to make the ACHIEVEit project tracking more transparent and to address an ACHIEVEit technical issue: updating due dates without losing year‑one baseline dates used for accountability. Staff acknowledged the system limitation and said they will work with ACHIEVEit to preserve both original and current due dates in the public view.

Workplan items and “bike rack” follow‑ups: Staff also presented a long detailed workplan that lists projects and subtasks across goals. The council reviewed a set of six “bike rack” items (topics that emerged at the workshop but were left for later action): a council‑chambers art installation program, a council‑pay review, Arbor Day/event sponsorship and an adopt‑a‑tree pilot, e‑bike/bike‑pedestrian policy, mobile food‑truck regulation, and the creation of a sustainability/environmental commission to implement the Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAP). The council gave mixed direction: it asked staff and commissions to pursue the simpler items (e.g., develop a chamber art approach as an ad‑hoc task; continue Arbor Day with PB&R and Public Works), asked Parks, Beaches & Recreation (PB&R) and Economic Development committees to consider e‑bikes and food trucks as exploratory items, and asked staff to return with options on a sustainability commission and on how the CAP’s work could transition from an ad‑hoc task force to a standing commission or other structure.

Sanchez Art Center and public‑site fit studies: The strategic plan workplan also includes tasks driven by the city’s housing element that call for “test fits” and RFPs to evaluate whether certain city‑owned properties can accommodate housing or mixed uses. Council members asked for greater clarity on those timelines and emphasized that any study of city‑owned sites (Sanchez Art Center, Sanchez Library site and the Public Works yard) would be scoped and staged; staff clarified those tasks will be subject to separate study sessions and public engagement as they are launched.

Public reporting and cadence: Council and staff agreed the city should adopt a regular public reporting cadence for the plan. Staff proposed a practical cadence (biannual or triannual reviews) while working toward automated ACHIEVEit updates; the council asked staff to return with a specific public reporting schedule and implementation timeline when the workplan is refined.

Ending: Council approved the revised plan unanimously and instructed staff to update the ACHIEVEit workplan, provide clearer project deadlines, and return with an approach to ongoing public reporting. City staff also will examine the feasibility and resourcing implications of establishing a sustainability commission and will continue to coordinate with community volunteers and partner organizations on the other bike rack items.
","Following a March retreat, the council unanimously adopted minor edits to its 2023–2030 strategic plan and asked staff to refine the ACHIEVEit workplan with clearer timelines; council placed several 'bike rack' items—art in chambers, Arbor Day, e‑bike/bike‑ped conflicts, food trucks and a sustainability commission—into follow‑up workstreams for","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Pacifica council narrows short-term rental rules, signals 60-night cap and tighter operator rules

Pacifica staff flags structural budget shortfall; recommends short‑term uses of one‑time revenue and longer‑term revenue strategies

Pacifica council adopts updated 2023–2030 strategic plan; staff to refine timelines and workplan