City of Long Beach - File #: 12-0343

• File #: 12-0343
• Version: 2
• Name: CA - ORD public phones LBMC 5.71
• Type: Ordinance
• Status: Adopted
• File created: 4/20/2012
• In control: City Council
• On agenda: 5/15/2012
• Final action: 5/15/2012
• Title: Recommendation to declare ordinance amending Long Beach Municipal Code Chapter 5.71 related to Publicly Accessible Exterior Pay Telephones, read and adopted as read. (Citywide)
• Sponsors: City Attorney
• Code sections: 5.71.010 - Definitions., 5.71.020 - Prohibited locations., 5.71.030 - Public nuisance., 5.71.040 - Abatement generally., 5.71.050 - Replacement prohibited., 5.71.060 - List of abated locations., 5.71.070 - Publicly accessible exterior pay telephones-Exterior pay telephone permit required., 5.71.080 - Permit application., 5.71.090 - Minimum standards for a publicly accessible exterior pay telephone permit., 5.71.100 - Permit required for existing publicly accessible exterior pay telephones., 5.71.110 - Removal of publicly accessible exterior pay telephones., 5.71.120 - PAT permit-Cancellation or denial., 5.71.130 - PAT permit-Suspension or revocation-Grounds.
• Related files: 11-0425

Date	Ver.	Action By	Action	Result
5/15/2012	2	City Council	approve recommendation and adopt	Pass
5/8/2012	1	City Council	declare ordinance read the first time and laid over to the next regular meeting of the City Council for final reading	Pass

TITLE
Recommendation to declare ordinance amending Long Beach Municipal Code Chapter 5.71 related to Publicly Accessible Exterior Pay Telephones, read and adopted as read. (Citywide)

DISCUSSION
Chapter 5.71 of the Long Beach Municipal Code regulates the location and operation of exterior pay telephones ("PATS") in the City. On May 3, 2011, the City Council adopted a minute order declaring a one-year moratorium precluding the issuance of any new permits for the installation of publicly accessible exterior pay telephones. This action was taken to allow City staff to review Chapter 5.71 to determine whether an amendment to the Municipal Code would be appropriate to address various nuisance conditions/behaviors reported at exterior pay telephone locations in the City.

City staff from the Departments of Development Services, Police, City Attorney and Financial Management met to discuss the challenges associated with pay telephone locations and potential remedies. After a review of Chapter 5.71, and after meeting with involved stakeholders from the public and the pay phone industry, it was determined that the current regulations contained in Chapter 5.71 are not an effective tool when dealing with complaints of nuisance conditions and behavior issues associated with pay telephone locations.

Based on this information, City staff is recommending significant changes to the current pay telephone regulations in order to better equip the City and City staff with the tools needed to effectively regulate exterior pay telephone locations City-wide. If adopted, the revised regulations would:

1) improve the current application process to better insure that new PATS are installed and maintained in a manner that will be more compatible with surrounding neighborhoods; and

2) provide the City Manager with more flexibility to impose various operational conditions to insure neighborhood compatibility and reduce the risk of nuisance related activity. Such conditions could inclu...