By JP Crumrine
Correspondent
The Riverside County’s June Grand Jury Report on Short-Term Rentals (STRs) was broad in coverage. Not only were the board of supervisors and the Transportation and Land Management Agency (the Planning and Code Enforcement departments) addressed and expected to respond, but also the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department was targeted in the report.
Sheriff Chad Bianco disputed the finding about enforcement of the county’s Noise Ordinance (847) and implementation of Ordinance (924) regarding the process for addressing multiple responses to “loud and unruly parties.”
Nevertheless, the sheriff essentially concurred with the grand jury’s recommendation to collaborate with Planning and Code Enforcement for more effective enforcement of these ordinances.
The Sheriff’s Department, and both Planning and Code Enforcement have begun joint meetings about the issue and plan to have a new policy drafted and implemented by Dec. 21.
The sheriff also acknowledged that his department, including members of his executive staff, has been an active participant in the ad hoc committee meetings on STRs, which supervisors Chuck Washington (3rd District) and V. Manuel Perez (4th District) initiated in May.
In its response to the grand jury, the Sheriff’s Department said it is developing a new policy, “which will assist our employees in enforcing County Ordinances 847 and 924. These ordinances are somewhat unique, and as such, a policy will ensure there will be department-wide consistency to effectively and efficiently handle the enforcement of noise related complaints.”
While many of the sheriff’s individual stations have formal procedures in place for enforcing Ordinance 847, department-wide policy and guidance has not been promulgated. “Generally, the Department does not create such policies for the enforcement of particular laws or ordinances; however, Ordinance 847 is somewhat unique,” the sheriff’s response stated.
So Planning, Code Enforcement, the Sheriff’s Department and the supervisors’ staff are cooperating to revise the ordinance on STRs and improve enforcing noise complaints and multiple complaints to one location.
The Planning Commission will get the first opportunity to review the proposed revisions to the three ordinances. Next, they go before the board of supervisors for adoption.
The Sheriff’s Department’s response to the grand jury may be found at https://rivco.org/sites/de
fault/files/Past%20Reports%20%26%20Respons
es/2020-2021/Grand_Jury_Reponse_Sheriff_Rentals.
pdf.
