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Tehachapi council introduces municipal code updates tightening fines, short-term rental rules, trash and parking enforcement
Summary
Council members voted 4-0 to introduce a package of municipal code updates that would let officers treat some violations as infractions rather than misdemeanors, move fine-setting to council resolution, limit new short-term rental permits to downtown, tighten trash rules and require parking between painted lines downtown. Adoption will be scheduled at a later meeting.
The Tehachapi City Council unanimously introduced a package of municipal code amendments that would change how the city enforces code violations, regulate short-term rentals more tightly, and add new requirements for trash and downtown parking.
Development Services staff said the proposed changes would allow police officers discretion to treat code violations as either infractions or misdemeanors depending on seriousness and repeat offenses, and would let the council update fine amounts by resolution rather than by ordinance. Staff described an administrative-appeals process using a hearing officer, with judicial review available to appellants in court.
On short-term rentals, staff proposed limiting issuance of new permits to a defined downtown zone while grandfathering existing permits outside downtown so long as they remain in good standing. Staff said advertising of short-term rentals without a permit would be prohibited, life-safety inspections would be scheduled at application, and annual permit renewals would have a June 30 deadline. When asked for a definition of short-term rentals, staff said they meant “anything less than 30 days;” they characterized rentals with two or more bedrooms as presumed to house five or more people for transient-occupancy-tax purposes.
Staff also proposed changes to garbage and rubbish rules so property owners must pick up trash that blows off their property and businesses must keep dumpsters enclosed to prevent scattering by ravens. For residential cans, the code would require owners to remove cans from the curb on non-collection days. Finally, staff proposed a parking-space compliance rule requiring drivers to park between diagonal lines downtown or face possible enforcement.
Staff and the chief emphasized the measures are administrative and would be implemented in a phased, educational manner rather than through immediate punitive actions. The council moved to introduce the code-update package by title only; the motion passed 4-0. Staff said the resolution to set fines will be brought forward when the ordinance comes back for adoption, and additional details (including maps of the downtown short-term rental zone) will be provided to the public.
The council’s vote at this meeting was to introduce the ordinances for first reading; no final adoption or new effective dates were approved.
