DATE: October 21, 2026
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Planning and Development Department
2026-096
REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
SUBJECT:
URGENCY ORDINANCE AND REGULAR ORDINANCE ADDING CHAPTER 5.57 TO THE CORONA MUNICPAL CODE TO REGULATE OUTPATIENT MEDICATIONASSISTED DRUG TREATMENT FACILITIES AND RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING ADMINISTRATIVE PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS OF CHAPTER 5.57
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This staff report asks the City Council to consider adding Chapter 5.57 to the Corona Municipal Code to establish operational regulations for outpatient medication-assisted drug treatment facilities. These licensed facilities provide medication-assisted treatment services on an outpatient basis to persons recovering from substance abuse.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
That the City Council:
a. Adopted Urgency Ordinance No. 3435 adding Chapter 5.57 to the Corona Municipal Code to regulate outpatient medication-assisted drug treatment facilities.
b. Introduce, by title only, and waive full reading of regular Ordinance No. 3436, first reading of an ordinance adding Chapter 5.57 to the Corona Municipal Code to regulate outpatient medication-assisted drug treatment facilities. c. Adopt Resolution No. 2026-101 amending the administrative penalties schedule to establish penalties for violations of Chapter 5.57.
BACKGROUND & HISTORY:
At the City Council meeting on June 16, 2026, the City Council discussed Vice Mayor Speake’s request to explore options for regulating medication-assisted drug treatment facilities, due to complaints received regarding one of the two outpatient medicationassisted drug treatment facilities operating within the City of Corona (City). The complaints involve issues of loitering, littering, narcotic use, public urination, and similar behavior, on the premises and in the immediate vicinity of the outpatient medicationassisted drug treatment facility.
The City Council directed staff to prepare an ordinance for Council consideration that establishes operational regulations that would apply to all existing and future outpatient medication-assisted drug treatment facilities. The City Council also directed staff to prepare an ordinance to require a conditional use permit (CUP) for all outpatient medication-assisted drug treatment facilities, with the understanding that the CUP requirement could not be applied to the two existing outpatient medication-assisted drug treatment facilities operating within the City.
This staff report asks the City Council to consider an ordinance that establishes operational regulations for outpatient medication-assisted drug treatment facilities. The ordinance to require a CUP for outpatient medication-assisted drug treatment facilities will be presented to the City Council at a future date, given it would amend the Zoning Code and, therefore, requires a recommendation from the Planning and Housing Commission.
ANALYSIS:
All outpatient medication-assisted drug treatment facilities must be licensed by the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) under California Health & Safety Code Sections 11839 et seq, as well as the County of Riverside (County). This statutory scheme, which governs the licensing and inspection of outpatient medication-assisted drug treatment facilities, does not include general operational requirements similar to, or in conflict with, the operational regulations contemplated by the City. Additionally, the City has discussed it’s desire to adopt operational regulations for outpatient medicationassisted drug treatment facilities, and neither DHCS nor the County expressed any concerns.
Urgency and Regular Ordinances
The attached Urgency Ordinance, which includes the necessary urgency findings, would add Chapter 5.57 to the Corona Municipal Code (CMC) to establish the following operational regulations for any outpatient medication-assisted drug treatment facilities operating within the City, including the two existing facilities:
• Hours of Operation: Limited to the hours of 5:30 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. • Security: At least one security guard is required during hours of operation, and one hour before and one hour after hours of operation.
• Patient Waiting Area: An adequately sized indoor waiting area must be provided to accommodate all patients inside the facility.
• Building Exterior Areas: Facility operator is required to ensure that patients do not line-up, queue, congregate, loiter, or obstruct vehicular or pedestrian circulation on, or adjacent to, the premises of the facility: sidewalks; public rightsof-way; parking areas; designated patient pick-up and drop-off areas; drive aisles; fire lanes; and any other private or public properties
• Signage: Facility operator is required to post signs with the following wording in visible areas around the facility:
• Patient Restroom Facilities: Facility operator is required to provide at least one permanent restroom facility within the building that is accessible and available for patient use during all hours of operation.
• Patient Transportation and Pick-Up/Drop-Off Areas: Facility operator is required to manage and coordinate arrival and departure of any group transportation methods, to minimize impacts on surrounding private or public properties.
Also attached is an identical version of the Urgency Ordinance to be introduced and adopted as a regular ordinance. The regular ordinance is being introduced for adoption, in the event the urgency findings are challenged and found not to be legally sufficient.
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 DROP-OFF 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)
Should this occur, the provisions of the regular ordinance will still be valid and in full force and effect thirty (30) days following its second reading and adoption. If the regular ordinance is adopted tonight, second reading would occur on November 4, 2026, and it would be in effect on December 4, 2026.
Administrative Penalties Schedule
The City Council has previously adopted an Administrative Penalties Schedule that establishes the penalty amounts to be imposed for violations of the CMC. The standard administrative penalty amount is established at: (1) $100 for the first occurrence of a violation; (2) $200 for the second occurrence of the same violation within a twelve (12) month period; and (3) $500 for each additional occurrence of the same violation within a twelve (12) month period. The City Council has established higher administrative penalty amounts for violations of certain provisions of the CMC, such as aggressive solicitation or fireworks.
To encourage compliance with the operational regulations for outpatient medicationassisted drug treatment facilities, staff recommends that the administrative penalties for violation of Chapter 5.57 be established at a higher amount. The adoption of Resolution No. 2026-101 will establish the penalties and fines for violations of Chapter 5.57 at: (1) $250 for the first occurrence of a violation; (2) $500 for the second occurrence of the same violation within a twelve (12) month period; and (3) $1,000 for each additional occurrence of the same violation within a twelve (12) month period.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
There is no financial impact associated with the approval of the recommended actions, as they establish regulations for outpatient medication-assisted drug treatment facilities.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
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 the CEQA if the activity is covered by the commonsense exemption that 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 makes text amendments to the CMC and will not have a significant effect on the environment. Therefore, no environmental analysis is required.
PREPARED BY: JOEL BELDING, PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR REVIEWED BY: JUSTIN TUCKER, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Exhibit 1 – Urgency Ordinance No. 3435
2. Exhibit 2 – Ordinance No. 3436
3. Exhibit 3 – Resolution No. 2026-101