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URGENCY ORDINANCE NO. 3435
AN URGENCY ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF CORONA,
CALIFORNIA, ADDING CHAPTER 5.57 TO THE CORONA
MUNICIPAL CODE TO REGULATE OUTPATIENT
MEDICATION-ASSISTED DRUG TREATMENT
FACILITIES
WHEREAS, Article XI, § 7 of the California Constitution authorizes cities to make and enforce within their limits all local, police, sanitary, and other ordinances and regulations not in conflict with general laws; and
WHEREAS, California Health & Safety Code Sections 11839 et seq. (“Applicable Law”) provides a comprehensive statutory scheme for the licensing of outpatient medicationassisted drug treatment facilities, which are also referred to as narcotic treatment programs; and WHEREAS, pursuant to California Health & Safety Code Sections 11839.3, 11839.5 and 11839.7, all outpatient medication-assisted drug treatment facilities must be licensed by the California Department of Health Care Services (“DHCS”); and WHEREAS, there are currently two outpatient medication-assisted drug treatment facilities operating within the City of Corona; and
WHEREAS, the City has received numerous complaints concerning loitering, littering, narcotic use, public urination and similar behavior on the premises and in the immediate vicinity of one of the two outpatient medication-assisted drug treatment facilities operating within the City (“Incident Heavy Facility”); and
WHEREAS, this year alone the City of Corona Police Department has responded to over 68 incidents at the Incident Heavy Facility, which resulted in 17 arrests for outstanding warrants or narcotics violations; and
WHEREAS, the other outpatient medication-assisted drug treatment facility has had essentially no police responses and no arrests (“Incident Light Facility”); and WHEREAS, the City understands that the Incident Light Facility has already incorporated operational policies which are similar to those outpatient medication-assisted drug treatment facility regulations set forth in this proposed Urgency Ordinance; and WHEREAS, the City Council recognizes the need for outpatient medicationassisted drug treatment facilities, and at the same time is concerned that any negative secondary effects may be incompatible with the public health and safety of community; and 2 of 9
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WHEREAS, the City Council has determined that the operation of outpatient medication-assisted drug treatment facilities has created significant negative secondary impacts and unreasonable nuisance conditions on surrounding properties and the public generally related to loitering, littering, narcotic use, public urination, interference with pedestrian or vehicular traffic and disrupts the public’s use and enjoyment of surrounding businesses; and WHEREAS, the Applicable Law and regulations enacted by DHCS govern the licensing and inspection of outpatient medication-assisted drug treatment facilities, but do not provide general operational requirements similar to or in conflict with the operational regulations set forth herein; and
WHEREAS, the City has informed DHCS of the City’s intent to adopt operational regulations for outpatient medication-assisted drug treatment facilities and DHCS did not express any concerns; and
WHEREAS, the City Council hereby finds that to promote and protect the public health, safety and welfare of the community, the outpatient medication-assisted drug treatment facility regulations set forth herein are necessary to:
1. Ensure no unreasonable interference with the flow of pedestrian or vehicular traffic, including access to building entrances, and not blocking driveways, fire hydrants, parking areas and building storefront windows, which is necessary to guard the health and safety of patrons, drivers, vendors and existing business owners and promote fire suppression and law enforcement practices that allow the City’s public safety personnel to observe activities within building.
2. Maintain sanitary conditions on the sidewalks, pathways, driveways, parking areas, on the premises of an outpatient medication-assisted drug treatment facility and the surrounding properties.
3. Ensure that outpatient medication-assisted drug treatment facilities are operated in such a manner that the patrons of such facilities can be accommodated and contained within the interior of the building and the public and private property surrounding such facilities are not negatively impacted.
4. Reduce opportunities for illicit drug use on the premises of an outpatient medication-assisted drug treatment facility and the surrounding public and private properties.
5. Provide a secure environment for the patrons of outpatient medication-assisted drug treatment facility and members of the public using the surrounding public and private properties.
WHEREAS, the City has determined that an urgency ordinance is necessary to amend the Corona Municipal Code (“CMC”) to immediately in order to properly regulate 3 of 9
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outpatient medication-assisted drug treatment facilities and to protect residents, local businesses and the patrons of outpatient medication-assisted drug treatment facilities from the adverse secondary effects associated with outpatient medication-assisted drug treatment facilities. If not adopted as an Urgency Ordinance, the City would be without appropriate regulations to address the adverse secondary effects caused by outpatient medication-assisted drug treatment facilities.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CORONA
DOES ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Urgency Findings. In accordance with California Government Code Section 36937(b) and in order to protect the public peace, health and safety, the City Council finds as follows:
A. The Recitals stated above are incorporated herein by reference.
B. This Urgency Ordinance must take effect immediately upon adoption to provide effective tools and guidance for the regulation of outpatient medicationassisted drug treatment facilities and waiting 30 days from adoption after a first and second reading of the ordinance would pose a serious risk to the public peace, health and safety in that the City does not currently have any regulations.
C. City staff has determined that the revisions to the CMC attached hereto are necessary to better and more properly regulate outpatient medication-assisted drug treatment facilities.
D. The proposed amendments to the CMC attached hereto are consistent with all of the objectives, policies, general land uses, programs and actions of all elements of the Corona General Plan, and none of the proposed regulations conflict with current General Plan.
E. The proposed amendments to the CMC attached hereto are not detrimental to and are instead necessary for the immediate preservation and protection of the public convenience, health, safety and general welfare of the City, its residents and businesses, since the regulations establish reasonable operational standards that are consistent with applicable law and will result in reasonable regulation of outpatient medication-assisted drug treatment facilities.
F. All legal prerequisites to the adoption of this Urgency Ordinance have occurred.
SECTION 2. Incorporation of Recitals. The City Council finds and determines that the foregoing Recitals are true and correct and incorporates the Recitals herein.
SECTION 3. CEQA Findings. This action is exempt pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the Guidelines for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which states that a project is exempt from CEQA if the activity is covered by the common sense exemption that 4 of 9
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CEQA applies only to projects that have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA.
This action establishes operational regulations for outpatient medication-assisted drug treatment facilities, and there is no possibility that adopting this Urgency Ordinance will have a significant effect on the environment. Therefore, no environmental analysis is required.
SECTION 4. Addition of CMC 5.57. Chapter 5.57 (Outpatient MedicationAssisted Drug Treatment Facilities) is hereby added to the Corona Municipal Code to read as indicated in Exhibit “A” attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference.
SECTION 5. Severability. If any provision or clause of this Urgency Ordinance or any application of it to any person, firm, organization, partnership or corporation is held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect other provisions of this Urgency Ordinance which can be given effect without the invalid provision or application. To this end, the provisions of this Urgency Ordinance are declared to be severable.
SECTION 6. Conflicting Ordinances. This Urgency Ordinance shall supersede all other previous City Council resolutions and ordinances that may conflict with, or be contrary to, this Urgency Ordinance.
SECTION 7. Effective Date. This Urgency Ordinance shall become effective immediately upon adoption, if adopted by at least a four-fifths (4/5) vote of the City Council. The Mayor shall sign this Urgency Ordinance and the City Clerk shall attest thereto and shall within fifteen (15) days of is adoption cause it, or a summary of it, to be published in the Press Enterprise, a newspaper published and circulated in the City of Corona.
PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED this 21st day of October, 2026. _________________________________
Mayor of the City of Corona, California
ATTEST:
____________________________________
City Clerk of the City of Corona, California
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CERTIFICATION
I, Sylvia Edwards, Clerk of the City of Corona, California, do hereby certify that the foregoing Urgency Ordinance was properly introduced and adopted by at least a four-fifth’s (4/5) vote at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Corona, California, duly held the 21st day of October, 2026 by the following vote of the Council:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTAINED:
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the official seal of the City of Corona, California, this 21st day of October, 2026. ___________________________________
City Clerk of the City of Corona, California
[SEAL]
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EXHIBIT “A”
“Chapter 5.57
OUTPATIENT MEDICATION-ASSISTED DRUG TREATMENT FACILITIES Sections
5.57.010 Purpose.
5.57.020 Definitions.
5.55.030 Operational requirements.
5.55.040 Penalties and enforcement.
5.57.010 Purpose.
(A) The purpose of this chapter is to establish operating requirements for outpatient medication-assisted drug treatment facilities to protect the public health, safety and welfare and to ensure that such facilities are operated in a manner that does not generate nuisance conditions or adverse impacts on neighboring public or private property.
5.57.020 Definitions.
The following words and phrases, whenever used in this chapter, shall be construed as defined in this section unless from the context a different meaning is specifically defined and more particularly directed to the use of such words or phrases:
(A) “Outpatient medication-assisted drug treatment facility” means any facility that provides medication-assisted treatment services on an outpatient basis to persons recovering from substance abuse. Such services may or may not include counseling, testing, and related supportive services, but do include providing routine medication dispensing, such as, but not limited to, methadone, buprenorphine, or naltrexone. (B) “Regulated patient behaviors” means lining-up, queueing, congregating, loitering, or obstructing vehicular or pedestrian circulation. (C) “Regulated building exterior areas” means any of the following either on or adjacent to the premises of the outpatient medication-assisted drug treatment facility:
sidewalks; public rights-of-way; parking areas; designated patient pick-up and drop-off areas; drive aisles; fire lanes; and any other private or public properties.
5.57.030 Operational requirements.
The following requirements shall be applicable to each outpatient medication-assisted drug treatment facility:
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(A) Hours of operation. An outpatient medication-assisted drug treatment facility shall not be open for business outside of the hours of 5:30 AM to 6:00 PM. (B) Security. An outpatient medication-assisted drug treatment facility shall provide at least one security guard on the premises during all hours of operation, as well as one hour before and one hour after the hours of operation. The security guard shall monitor not only the premises, but also the regulated building exterior areas, and shall take all reasonable measures within their legal authority to prevent nuisance activity associated with facility operations, including, but not limited to, the regulated patient behaviors in the regulated building exterior areas. (C) Patient waiting area; Patient count control. An outpatient medication-assisted drug treatment facility shall provide an adequately sized indoor waiting area sufficient to accommodate all patients on the premises at any given time. The owner(s) and operator(s) of the outpatient medication-assisted drug treatment facility shall schedule and manage patient appointments so that the indoor waiting area is always sufficient to accommodate all patients on the premises at any given time. Nuisance activity associated with facility operations, including, but not limited to, regulated patient behaviors occurring in the regulated building exterior areas, shall be evidence sufficient to prove that the owner(s) and operator(s) of the outpatient medication-assisted drug treatment facility have violated this provision.
(D) Regulated building exterior areas. Patients shall not, either prior to, during or after operating hours, participate in any of the regulated patient behaviors in the regulated building exterior areas. The owner(s) and operator(s) of the outpatient medication-assisted drug treatment facility shall schedule and manage patient appointments so that the patients do not participate in any regulated patient behaviors in the regulated building exterior areas. Management of patient appointments can include, but shall not be limited to, monitoring the exterior of the premises and requiring patients to come inside the building and utilize the indoor patient waiting area. Nuisance activity associated with facility operations, including, but not limited to, regulated patient behaviors occurring in the regulated building exterior areas, shall be evidence sufficient to prove that the owner(s) and operator(s) of the outpatient medication-assisted drug treatment facility have violated this provision.
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(E) Signage.
(1) Sign Wording. An outpatient medication-assisted drug treatment facility shall have posted and maintained signs with the following wording:
(2) Sign Locations. The sign noted in (E)(1) above shall be posted and maintained in clearly visible areas on the property, including, but not limited to, in the patient waiting area, near building public entrances, in the parking lots, and in the designated patient pick-up and drop-off areas.
(3) Sign Letter Dimensions. The bold lettering on the sign noted in (E)(1) above shall be no less than three (3) inches in height. The remaining lettering shall be no less than one (1) inch in height.
(F) Patient Restroom Facilities. An outpatient medication-assisted drug treatment facility shall provide at least one permanent restroom facility within the building that is accessible and available for patient use during all hours of operation. Portable or temporary restrooms or similar facilities shall not satisfy this requirement.
(G) Patient Transportation and Pick-Up/Drop-Off Areas. An outpatient medicationassisted drug treatment facility shall manage and coordinate the arrival and departure of buses, vans, shuttles, and other group transportation methods to minimize impacts on the regulated building exterior areas, including, but not limited to, any surrounding private or public properties.
Group pick-ups and drop-offs shall be staggered, as necessary, to prevent regulated patient behaviors in the regulated building exterior areas. Patient pick-up and drop-off shall occur in one or more designated area(s) on the premises of the outpatient medication-assisted drug treatment facility, and shall be located, designed and managed so as not to result in any regulated patient behaviors occurring in any of the regulated building exterior areas. Nuisance activity associated with facility operations, including, but not limited to, regulated patient behaviors occurring in the regulated building exterior areas, shall be evidence sufficient to prove that the owner(s) and operator(s) of the outpatient medication-assisted drug treatment facility have violated this provision.
NO LOITERING OR OTHER PROHIBITED BEHAVIOR
PATIENTS SHALL NOT LINE-UP, QUEUE, CONGREGATE, LOITER, OR OBSTRUCT
VEHICULAR OR PEDESTRIAN CIRCULATION ON THE SIDEWALKS, PUBLIC RIGHTS-OF-WAY, PARKING AREAS, DESIGNATED PATIENT PICK-UP AND DROPOFF AREAS, DRIVE AISLES, FIRE LANES, AND OTHER PRIVATE OR PUBLIC PROPERTIES EITHER ON OR ADJACENT TO THESE PREMISES.
VIOLATORS WILL BE PROSECUTED AND/OR CITED & FINED
(CORONA MUNICIPAL CODE CHAPTER 5.57)
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5.57.040 Penalties and enforcement. Any person violating any of the provisions of this chapter shall be deemed guilty of an infraction, and shall be subject to all applicable penalties or punishments available to the city, including, without limitation, those provided for in Chapter 1.08 of this code.