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Anaheim, CA 92805
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CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
City of Anaheim
OFFICE OF CITY ATTORNEY
DATE: JUNE 13, 2023
FROM: OFFICE OF THE CITY ATTORNEY
SUBJECT: ORDINANCE ADDING CHAPTER 6.101 (HOTEL WORKER
PROTECTIONS) TO THE ANAHEIM MUNICIPAL CODE TO
PROVIDE SAFETY AND SECURITY MEASURES FOR HOTEL
WORKERS IN ANAHEIM.
ATTACHMENT (Y/N): YES ITEM # 28
GOVERNMENT CODE § 84308 APPLIES: NO
REQUESTED ACTION:
That the City Council, take the following actions:
1. Introduce an ordinance adding Chapter 6.101 (Hotel Worker Protections) to the Anaheim Municipal Code to provide safety and security measures for hotel workers in Anaheim.
2. By Motion, determine that the ordinance relates to organizational or administrative activities of governments that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment, and therefore is not a project within the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act ("CEQA") and the State CEQA Guidelines, Section 15378(b).
DISCUSSION:
At the May 16, 2023 City Council meeting, Mayor Pro Tem Natalie Rubalcava requested that the City Attorney prepare an ordinance providing safety and security measures to protect hotel employees, including by i) equipping them with personal security devices that they can activate if they are subjected to threatening or violent behavior or there is an emergency, ii) requiring hotels to provide comprehensive training to ensure that hotel personnel are aware of the rights, obligations and protections conferred by the ordinance, iii) requiring hotels to assign designated personnel to facilitate prompt and effective responses to such activations, iv) requiring hotels to notify guests that hotel workers are protected by City law and equipped with security devices for their safety, v) requiring hotels to afford workers subjected to violent or threatening behavior paid time to report the misconduct to the police, vi) shielding workers from retaliation for exercising their rights under the ordinance and providing civil remedies for violations of the ordinance.
Similar safety measures have been implemented by other cities, including the cities of Los Angeles, Irvine, Glendale, Long Beach, Santa Monica, and West Hollywood. If approved, the ordinance will take effect on January 1, 2024, to allow hotels time to procure the requisite equipment and implement the required safety measures.
Ordinance Adding Chapter 6.101 to the Anaheim Municipal Code June 13, 2023
Hotel workers are vital contributors to the Anaheim community and the hospitality industry is an essential component of the City’s economy. Hotel employees who work by themselves in guest rooms are vulnerable to crimes and other threatening behavior, including sexual assault. Ensuring that hotel workers are equipped with personal security devices and supported in their ability to report criminal and threatening behavior to the proper authorities will promote their personal safety and improve public health, welfare and safety overall.
IMPACT ON BUDGET:
Adoption of this Chapter will have no budgetary impact.
Respectfully submitted,
Robert Fabela
City Attorney
Attachment:
1. Proposed Ordinance