ORDINANCE NO.
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA, AMENDING VARIOUS SECTIONS OF CHAPTER 5.66 OF THE RIVERSIDE MUNICIPAL CODE REGARDING AMBULANCES.
The City Council of the City of Riverside does ordain as follows:
Section 1: Section 5.66.020 of the Riverside Municipal Code is amended as follows:
“Section 5.66.020 Franchises/permits.
A. Required. It shall be unlawful for any person, either as owner, agent or otherwise, to operate, conduct, maintain, advertise or otherwise be engaged in or profess to be engaged in the operation of ambulance services originating in the City, except in conformance with a valid franchise to do so granted by the Council for 911 Originated Calls for service or a valid permit to do so granted by the Administrator. . . .
D. Exceptions. The equipment and personnel standards specified in this chapter apply to all ambulance services; however, the franchise requirements shall not apply to:
1. Ambulance transportation services provided by the City; . . .
4. Ambulances operating upon approval of the Administrator in the event of a temporary, sudden or unexpected increase in patient volume that has the potential to severely challenge or exceed the capacity of the present ambulance delivery system.
5. Ambulances operating upon approval of the Administrator where permitted ambulance services are verified to be delayed or unable to provide the necessary service requested by the hospital and the impact to patient care is probable. . . .”
Section 2: Section 5.66.040 of the Riverside Municipal Code is amended as follows:
“Section 5.66.040 Application for a franchise or extension of a franchise.
A. Procedure and information required. Prerequisites to the granting of a franchise or a permit or an extended term of an existing franchise or permit to an applicant shall include payment of a nonrefundable fee as set by resolution of the Council and the filing with the Administrator of an application in writing on a form to be furnished by the City, which shall provide, at a minimum, the following information:
1. Name and description of applicant;
. . .
18. Verification of applicant's current accreditation with the Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services ("CAAS"). A variance can be granted by the Ambulance Administrator for CAAS accreditation completion within six-months to 18-months of permit issuance. Failure to comply will result in revocation of the permit. . . .”
Section 3: Section 5.66.050 of the Riverside Municipal Code is amended as follows:
“Section 5.66.050 Processing of application.
A. Upon receipt of an application and a nonrefundable fee as set by resolution, the Administrator shall conduct an evaluation to determine if the applicant meets all requirements of this chapter. The Administrator shall consult with and, if possible, obtain the assessment of the application by the Health Officer or the Local EMS Agency as part of his or her investigation. Within 45 days after the completion of his or her evaluation, the Administrator shall for a franchise, prepare and issue a report to the Committee, present a copy to the applicant, and request that a meeting of the Committee be called within 45 days to consider the report and other testimony. After due deliberation, the Committee shall make its recommendation to the Council on whether to approve or deny the franchise application. For a permit, the Administrator shall determine if the applicant has met all the requirements of this chapter, and if so, issue a permit according to the procedures set forth in this chapter.” Section 4: Section 5.66.090 of the Riverside Municipal Code is amended as follows:
“Section 5.66.090 Extension of franchises/permits.
Subject to the maximum term limitation of the City Charter, franchises/permits may be extended by the City Council or the Administrator for a period of up to three years upon application of the franchisee/permit holder if the franchisee/permit holder proposes no substantial change in the content of the franchise ordinance or the permit, and if the City Council or Administrator determines that the franchisee/permit holder has during the period of the franchise/permit operated in conformity with the provisions of this chapter, the franchise ordinance or the permit, the operational agreement and the rules and regulations of the City, and that the franchisee/permit holder is capable of continuing operation in conformity with the rules and regulations of the City.” Section 5: Section 5.66.180 of the Riverside Municipal Code is amended as follows:
“Section 5.66.180 Ambulance rates.
A. No ambulance service shall charge more for its services than the rates and charges approved by the City. Rates and charges are initially set by Council resolution.
B. Proposed special rates or proposed changes in existing approved rates and charges shall be submitted to the Administrator for review. The Administrator shall review all data and evidence submitted in justification of the proposal. For increases of greater than ten percent, the Administrator shall recommend approval or denial thereof to the Committee, which in turn shall make its own recommendation to the Council. The Administrator may approve increases up to five percent annually to compensate for increased ambulance operation costs as measured by the consumer price index. In addition to, and not in lieu of, a consumer price index increase, the Administrator may also grant rate increases up to and including five percent annually when extraordinary cost increases are supported by adequate documentation. . . .”
Section 6: Section 5.66.195 of the Riverside Municipal Code is amended as follows:
“Section 5.66.195 Permit for ambulances.
A. Each permit holder shall annually submit for inspection to the Administrator, at a minimum 50 percent of its fleet of ambulances operating in the City, such that all ambulances of a franchisee operating in the City are inspected on a biennial basis. . . .”
Section 7: The City Council has reviewed the matter and, based upon the facts and information contained in the staff reports, administrative record, and written and oral testimony, hereby finds that this ordinance is not subject to CEQA pursuant to Sections 15060(c)(2), 15060(c)(3) and/or 15061(b)(3) of the State CEQA Guidelines, California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Chapter 3, in that it will not result in a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment nor have a significant impact on the environment.
Section 8: The City Clerk shall certify to the adoption of this ordinance and cause publication once in a newspaper of general circulation in accordance with Section 414 of the Charter of the City of Riverside. This ordinance shall become effective on the 30th day after the date of its adoption.
ADOPTED by the City Council this _________ day of _____________, 2026. ___________________________
PATRICIA LOCK DAWSON
Mayor of the City of Riverside
Attest:
_____________________________
DONESIA GAUSE
City Clerk of the City of Riverside
I, Donesia Gause, City Clerk of the City of Riverside, California, hereby certify that the foregoing ordinance was duly and regularly introduced and adopted at a meeting of the City Council on the _______ day of _______________, 2026, by the following vote, to wit:
Ayes:
Noes:
Absent:
Abstain:
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the official seal of the City of Riverside, California, this ________ day of ______________, 2026. _________________________________
DONESIA GAUSE
City Clerk of the City of Riverside
314017 JSG 05/27/26
O:\Cycom\WPDocs\D002\P018\00230974.DOCX
4 City Attorney’s Office3900 Main StreetRiverside, CA 92522(951) 826-5567City Attorney’s Office3900 Main StreetRiverside, CA 92522(951) 826-5567 City Attorney’s Office
3900 Main Street
Riverside, CA 92522
(951) 826-5567
City Attorney’s Office
3900 Main Street
Riverside, CA 92522
(951) 826-5567
City Attorney’s Office3900 Main StreetRiverside, CA 92522(951) 826-5567City Attorney’s Office3900 Main StreetRiverside, CA 92522(951) 826-5567 City Attorney’s Office
3900 Main Street
Riverside, CA 92522
(951) 826-5567
City Attorney’s Office
3900 Main Street
Riverside, CA 92522
(951) 826-5567
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