Staff Report
City Council
Item No. 3.K
Meeting Date: October 22, 2025
From: Andrew Firestine, AICP, Director of Community and Economic Development
Title: Adoption of Resolution Establishing an Administrative Fine Schedule for Violations of the Cathedral City Municipal Code that Exceed the Default Fine Established in Section 13.58.020
RECOMMENDATION:
Approve a resolution establishing an administrative fine schedule for violations of the Cathedral City Municipal Code that exceed the default fine set in Section 13.58.020 of the Cathedral City Municipal Code and establishing a fine greater than the default fine for a public nuisance violation of cannabis odor.
BACKGROUND:
On September 24, 2025, the City Council conducted a first reading and public hearing on an ordinance amending the City’s cannabis regulations. The ordinance repeals and consolidates multiple sections of existing code into a single section, establishing a default fine for administrative citations in Section 13.58.020 of the Cathedral City Municipal Code, and authorizes the City Council to establish different fines by resolution. The default fines for administrative citations are set at $100 for a first violation, $200 for a second violation, and $500 for a third and any subsequent citation within a 12-month period under this ordinance.
DISCUSSION:
Currently, the fines for an administrative citation for cannabis nuisance odors are set at the default fine level for administrative citations in the Cathedral City Municipal Code. The staff report and presentation on the ordinance amending the City’s cannabis regulations identified a need to strengthen the City’s enforcement provisions, including setting fines greater than the default fine for a violation of the cannabis nuisance odor regulations to serve as a more effective deterrent.
The new enforcement provisions rely on an odor control plan as the foundation for the resolution of cannabis odor complaints, notably:
For cannabis businesses with an approved and compliant odor control plan, enforcement action in response to a verified cannabis odor complaint begins with a written warning and the business has an opportunity to take corrective action in response to the complaint. The business is also required to review and confirm the measures contained within its approved odor control plan are being followed. Upon reinspection, if a continued violation is observed, the City may issue an administrative citation for each day a violation continues. The proposed fine for a violation in this category is $1,000. If a cannabis business required to obtain approval of an odor control plan fails to do so or fails to comply with or maintain an odor control plan and has a verified odor complaint, the business has 30 days to take corrective action to fully comply with the code requirements. If this is not remedied within 30 days, the City shall issue an administrative citation for each subsequent month the business remains out of compliance. The proposed fine for a violation in this category is $5,000.
The proposed $1,000 and $5,000 fines for violations of the City’s cannabis nuisance odor regulations contained in Section 13.80.240(J) of the Cathedral City Municipal Code are contained within the attached resolution establishing an administrative fine schedule for violations of the Cathedral City Municipal Code that exceed the default fine.
Currently, there are only two administrative citations in the Cathedral City Municipal Code with fines greater than the default fines set in Section 13.58.020, those for short-term vacation rentals and plastic beverage straws. Cathedral City’s fines for short-term vacation rentals were established by Resolution No. 2022-14 and do not need to be adopted again by resolution. Under the provisions of the ordinance and the consolidated fine schedule, the existing fines for a violation of Section 5.94.030 on plastic beverage straws need to be adopted through a resolution of the City Council and are reflected in the attached resolution Should the City set administrative fines in the future that are different than its default fines, those would be an amendment to the attached resolution.
FISCAL IMPACT:
None at this time.
FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN:
F-17 – Review and update, as needed, our ordinances, policies, and practices regarding cannabis.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Administrative Fine Schedule Resolution