STAFF REPORT
Meeting Date:
May 12, 2026
CONSENT
14 SUBJECT: RESOLUTION ACCEPTING THE FIRE DEPARTMENT’S REPORT ON
COMPLIANCE WITH STATE INSPECTION MANDATES
RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that the City Council:
1. Adopt the Resolution titled, “A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
LAGUNA BEACH, CALIFORNIA, ACKNOWLEDGING RECEIPT OF A REPORT FROM THE
LAGUNA BEACH FIRE DEPARTMENT DEMONSTRATING COMPLIANCE WITH HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE SECTION 13146.4 AND FINDING THE SAME EXEMPT FROM THE CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT,” accepting the Fire Department’s report on compliance with state inspection mandates.
SUMMARY OF THE MATTER
This report presents the Laguna Beach Fire Department’s annual compliance report on state-mandated inspections of schools, hotels, motels, and apartment houses, as required by California Health and Safety Code Sections 13146.2, 13146.3, and 13146.4 (added by Senate Bill 1205 in 2018). State law requires the City Council, as the administering authority, to formally acknowledge receipt of this report each year.
Although the reporting period is based on the fiscal year, the Fire Department has completed all required inspections for Fiscal Year 2025–26 ahead of schedule. Accordingly, this report is being presented to the City Council in advance of the fiscal year end.
Staff recommend that the City Council adopt the attached resolution acknowledging receipt of the Fire Department’s report. There is no fiscal impact associated with this action. The recommended resolution is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) as an organizational or administrative activity with no potential for environmental impact.
DISCUSSION
The Laguna Beach Fire Department’s Fire Prevention Division is responsible for managing and coordinating the fire and life safety community programs throughout the City of Laguna Beach. One of these programs is the California State Fire Marshal Mandated Annual Inspection program. Division staff and Engine Companies conduct the annual inspections of schools, hotels, motels, and apartment buildings. When violations are observed, inspectors issue notices for corrective actions and timelines.
Immediate health and safety hazards require prompt correction, while less urgent issues are typically given up to two weeks for resolution. The annual inspection cycles follow the fiscal year calendar.
Senate Bill 1205 (SB 1205), signed into law in 2018, amended the California Health and Safety Code to require annual inspections and reporting for all mandated inspection programs. The law further requires that specified inspection statistics be presented to the local governing body and formally accepted by resolution or a similar action.
RESOLUTION ACCEPTING THE FIRE DEPARTMENT’S REPORT ON COMPLIANCE WITH
STATE INSPECTION MANDATES
May 12, 2026
SB 1205 was enacted in response to legislative inquiries following the 2016 “Ghost Ship” fire in Oakland, where a warehouse was unlawfully converted into a live/work artist collective resulted in 36 fatalities. The incident prompted significant changes in local code enforcement practices and increased statewide focus on life-safety regulations.
The table below summarizes the Department’s inspection results for the period of July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026.
Occupancy Classification Total
Inspected
Total in
Inspection
Database
Percentage
Inspected
E (Educational) 8 8 100%
R-1 (Hotels and Motels – Transient in Nature) 33 33 100% R-2 (Condominiums, Apartments, Dormitories,
with 3 or more dwelling units – Permanent in
nature)
156 156 100%
Pursuant to Health & Safety Code Section 13146.4(c), the City Council, as the administering authority of the LBFD, is required to acknowledge receipt of the LBFD’s inspection activities in a resolution or similar formal document.
FINANCIAL ANALYSIS
The recommended action has no financial impact on the budget.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS
The Resolution is not a project within the meaning of Section 15378 of the State of California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines because it is an organizational or administrative activity of the City that will not result in a direct or indirect physical change in the environment and therefore does not constitute a “project” within the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act. (CEQA Section 21065; CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b)(5).) Further, under CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3), this Resolution is nonetheless exempt from the requirements of CEQA in that the activity is covered by the general rule that CEQA applies only to projects which 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. As this is the City Council acknowledging receipt of the LBFD inspection reports, there is no potential for any resulting physical change to the environment.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Resolution (Pgs. 4-7)
RESOLUTION ACCEPTING THE FIRE DEPARTMENT’S REPORT ON COMPLIANCE WITH
STATE INSPECTION MANDATES
May 12, 2026
Submitted By:
. Approved: .David A Kiff
Niko King, Fire Chief Dave Kiff, City Manager
Report Prepared By: Coordinated With:
Robert Montaghami, Fire Marshal
Christopher Caisip, Fire Safety Inspector
Niko King, Fire Chief