Taft council advances code update to expand public-safety prohibitions and enforcement tools

The Taft City Council on Oct. 7 advanced a package of municipal code changes intended to give city officials more enforcement options for conduct the council described as affecting public peace, health and sanitation.

Valerie Escalante Troch, outside counsel with Civica Law, told the council the ordinance — listed as No. 854-25 — updates five main categories of the Taft Municipal Code, including conduct on public ways and property, disorderly conduct and loitering, aggressive panhandling and door-to-door commercial solicitation, loud/offensive noise and party regulations, and provisions addressing criminal gang activity. "This ordinance is updating and making laws for the community," Escalante Troch said, adding staff and police helped shape language to be clear, enforceable and compliant with state and federal law.

Escalante Troch said the revisions also harmonize enforcement mechanisms across code chapters so police, building and code enforcement officers will have the same set of tools: administrative notices and citations, civil remedies such as receivership or court intervention, or criminal processing where appropriate. The presentation referenced recent federal and state developments that staff said created or clarified legal paths for cities to act on camping and other public-safety matters.

Police Chief McMinn described the changes as restoring enforcement capacity the department had “kinda had our teeth taken away” from, and said they would help address repeat offenders and recurring incidents in downtown areas. "This is gonna help us with reoccurring crimes, the downtown...and the things we see all the time that when we arrest and book, they're released immediately," McMinn said.

Council members generally voiced support, saying the update gives the city "more teeth" to address quality-of-life issues and to exercise enforcement consistent with constitutional protections. Council discussion emphasized balancing enforcement with First Amendment protections and leaving exemptions for protected nonprofit, political and religious solicitation.

The council opened and closed the public hearing without receiving public testimony, then voted to approve first reading by title only and waive further reading; the motion passed 4-0 with Mayor Nora absent. The ordinance was introduced for first reading (further steps and the date for second reading or adoption were not specified in the record).

Authorities and procedural notes in the staff presentation said the council found the item exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act under the cited CEQA guideline sections.

Next step: the ordinance was introduced at first reading; the council will need to schedule any required subsequent readings or adoption vote per its rules before the changes take legal effect.