HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Packet 12-12-2017 Special
Special Council Meeting 1 of 1 December 12, 2017
CITY OF PLYMOUTH
AGENDA
SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING
DECEMBER 12, 2017, 5:00 p.m.
MEDICINE LAKE CONFERENCE ROOM
1. CALL TO ORDER
2. TOPICS
A. Hotel licensing
B. Set future Study Sessions
3. ADJOURN
SPECIAL
COUNCIL MEETING
December 12, 2017
Agenda
Number: 2A
To: Dave Callister, City Manager
Prepared by: Mike Goldstein, Public Safety Director
Reviewed by: Dave Callister, City Manager
Item:
Discuss the Amendment of Chapter 4 of the City Code to Add
Section 435 Requiring Business Licenses for Transient
Accommodations
1. ACTION REQUESTED:
Discuss the amendment of Chapter 4 of the City Code to add section 435 requiring business licenses for
transient accommodations.
2. BACKGROUND:
City staff is seeking input from the City Council regarding a proposed amendment to Chapter 4 of the
City Code, which would enable the City to require a business license from those businesses operating
transient accommodations i.e. hotels and motels.
Over the last several years, the City has expended a considerable amount of time and resources
responding to a variety of public safety and public health-related concerns at the various hotels and
motels within the community. While a number of tactics have been established and acted upon by
personnel from both the Public Safety and Community Development Departments to better engage
with these businesses, the calls for service have not diminished and in fact, in certain locations, have
increased.
Therefore, staff has researched additional measures, including the proposed ordinance language, which
would yield enhanced accountability from these businesses and the better management of their
properties resulting in a safer environment. The proposed ordinance is predicated upon a similar
ordinance that the City of Brooklyn Center enacted last year.
The proposed ordinance establishes a required business license to operate a transient accommodation
site in the City of Plymouth. The purpose is to ensure that hotels and motels are implementing
measures to improve the safety of their properties and to discourage criminal activity within their
facilities. Further, a tiered system would be employed whereby those businesses that are compliant
with the established standards within the ordinance, and fall within a certain range of calls for service,
would not result in additional conditions imposed upon the business. However, for those businesses
that are not compliant with the stipulated standards and/or fall outside of the range for calls for
service, then additional conditions and fees will be imposed onto the business.
The standards are defined in the proposed ordinance and are in conjunction with the industry’s best
practices established by the Center for Problem-Oriented Policing. The range for calls for service is
measured upon a per-lodging unit calculation to avoid larger properties from being disproportionately
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represented. A defined property inspections process is also outlined in the proposed ordinance as is a
validation procedure to properly vet and account for qualified calls for service. The ordinance provides
for both penalties and an appeals process as well.
Finally, staff has not initiated any discussions regarding this proposed ordinance with the hotels and
motels. Staff wanted to hear from the City Council first to learn whether there is a desire to move this
concept forward. If the direction is to study this notion further, then staff will meet with all of the hotel
and motel managers to share the proposed ordinance with them and to seek their input, which would
be reported back to the City Council at a later date.
3. BUDGET IMPACT:
Staff is seeking direction from the City Council to determine the appropriate licensing fees. For
example, in the City of Brooklyn Center, the fees are as follows: $150 for Level 1, $200 for Level 2 and
$300 for Level 3. Staff believes that the license fees for Level 2 and 3 businesses should be higher as
the fees would assist in off-setting the required staff time to manage this program and the more
problematic properties.
4. ATTACHMENTS:
Proposed Ordinance Amendment
Report on Plymouth Hotels
Hotel Incident Activity Report, 5-Year Analysis
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CITY OF PLYMOUTH
HENNEPIN COUNTY, MINNESOTA
ORDINANCE NO. 2017-XX
ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 4 (BUILDING, HOUSING AND CONSTRUCTION
REGULATIONS) OF THE CITY CODE TO ADD SECTION 435 REQUIRING BUSINESS LICENSES
FOR TRANSIENT ACCOMMODATIONS
THE CITY OF PLYMOUTH ORDAIN:
Section 1. Amendment of City Code. Chapter 4 of the city code of the City of
Plymouth, Minnesota, is hereby amended by adding the following:
435.00. Findings and Intent.
Subd. 1 The City of Plymouth (City) desires that hotel and motel owners provide
safe Transient Accommodations.
Subd. 2 The City Council determines it is in the best interests of the City to take a
proactive approach to deterring and minimizing criminal activity and minimizing safety
concerns at the City's hotels and motels.
Subd. 3 The City Council desires to encourage and foster cooperation between
hotel and motel operations and the City, so calls for service initiated by the hotel or motel
operator should not be included in the calls for service calculations for the purposes of these
regulations.
Subd. 4 The level of criminal activity occurring at hotels and motels in the City is
a real and compelling concern to the City Council, residents, visitors, and the hotel and
motel industry itself.
Subd. 5 A review of the police service calls regarding criminal activity
demonstrates that some hotels and motels in the City are responsible for a disproportionate
number of those calls.
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Subd. 6 It is reasonable to require hotels and motels with a higher number of
police calls for service to employ certain measures that have been shown to be effective in
deterring crime.
Subd. 7 To account for differences in the number of lodging units among the
hotels and motels, and to avoid larger properties being disproportionately represented, it is
appropriate to consider the number of calls for service based on a per-lodging unit
calculation for the purposes of determining the level of business license required.
Subd. 8 The license required by this ordinance is a business license issued under
the City's general police powers and is not intended to regulate items addressed in a
Minnesota Department of Health required of hotels and motels under Minnesota law.
435.05. Purpose. It is the purpose of this Section 435 to ensure that hotels and motels
(referred to in this Section as Transient Accommodations) are taking steps and implementing
measures as may be needed to improve safety and discourage the use of their facilities for
criminal activities in order to protect the safety of their guests and the public. Those owning and
operating transient accommodations that are safe, secure, free from unreasonable noise,
nuisances and threats to their safety and security.
435.10. Business License Required. It is unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to
operate a Transient Accommodation in the City without a Transient Accommodation business
license issued pursuant to this Section. A separate business license is required for each Transient
Accommodation Property.
435.15. Definitions.
Subd. 1. Annual Calls for Service. The aggregate total of all calls for service to a
Transient Accommodation property in a calendar year divided by the total number of Lodging
Units in the Transient Accommodation as determined by the City.
Subd. 2. Call for Service.
A. Any report of criminal activity made to the City from or concerning a Transient
Accommodation in connection with an incident occurring at that transient accommodation
property, except calls originating from the owner, manager or other agent of the owner of
the Transient Accommodation Property unless they knew or reasonably should have known
that such an incident would occur based upon prior experience with the person or group and
with that knowledge they nevertheless allowed the person or group to return to the
Transient Accommodation; or
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B. Any incident observed by the City concerning a Transient Accommodation
Property and is responded to by the City.
C. Only a call for service that is verified by the responding City personnel as being a
valid call for service regarding criminal activity by a guest or employee of the Transient
Accommodation or violations of City Code shall be included in the annual calls for service
calculation for the purposes of this Section. Criminal activity means conduct which is
prohibited by statute or City ordinance and for which the actor may be sentenced to
imprisonment.
D. Level I Transient Accommodation. Any Transient Accommodation who when
checked, has no more than three violations of the Minimum Transient Accommodation
Standards (Section 435.50) in any business license period or whose annual calls for service
are less than .50 calls per Lodging Unit.
E. Level II Transient Accommodation. Any Transient Accommodation who when
checked, does not comply with the Minimum Transient Accommodation Standards (Section
435.50) four times in any business license period or whose annual calls for service are at
least .50 calls per Lodging Unit, but less than .75 calls per Lodging Unit.
F. Level III Transient Accommodation. Any Transient Accommodation who when
checked, does not comply with the Minimum Transient Accommodation Standards (Section
435.50) five times in any business license period or whose annual calls for service are at
least .75 calls per Lodging Unit or greater.
G. Lodging Unit. One self-contained unit within a Transient Accommodation
designated by number, letter, or some other method of identification that is designed or used
for overnight accommodations. A Lodging Unit shall not include areas or rooms not
utilized for overnight accommodations such as banquet rooms, meeting rooms, business
centers, pool areas, and workout rooms.
H. Transient Accommodations. Any facility such as a hotel, motel, resort, or any
other facility or place offering six or more lodging units to guests, but not including jails,
hospitals, care facilities, senior living centers, residential treatment facilities, prisons,
detention homes, and similar facilities.
I. Transient Accommodation Property. Any land containing a facility for transient
accommodation including any associated parking areas, recreation areas, loading areas, or
other amenities, located on the same parcel of property.
435.20. Restrictions on Issuing Business Licenses. A Transient Accommodation business
license shall not be issued or renewed in any of the following circumstances exists:
Subd. 1. The application submits an incomplete business license application or fails to
submit the required application fee;
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Subd. 2. The applicant was not truthful in any of the information provided to the City as
part of its request for a business license;
Subd. 3. The Transient Accommodation is not in compliance with the requirements of this
Section, with any condition placed on its current Transient Accommodation business license, or
with any applicable federal, state, or local law, rule, regulation, ordinance;
Subd. 4. The Transient Accommodation Property is not in compliance with any applicable
federal, state, or local law, rule, regulation, or ordinance (including but not limited to, health, fire
and elevator);
Subd. 5. Business licenses shall be issued only to persons free of convictions of prostitution
or offenses which involve moral turpitude; or
Subd. 6. Has an employee that is required by this ordinance to complete a background
check that does not comply with the above stipulations and this Section.
435.25. Business Licensing Process and Renewal.
Subd. 1. A new Transient Accommodation shall obtain a Transient Accommodation
business license prior to opening for business. A new Transient Accommodation that had not
previously operated within the City shall initially qualify for a Level I Transient Accommodation
business license. The City may charge a reduced business license fee for a new Transient
Accommodation business license based on the number of months remaining in the particular
business licensing period.
Subd. 2. On or before February 1st, of each year the City will notify each existing
Transient Accommodation in writing of their annual calls for service for the previous year and
the level of Transient Accommodation business license for which they must apply. Applications
for a business license renewal shall be submitted to the City at least 30 days prior to the business
license expiration date.
Subd. 3. The Transient Accommodations must obtain the required level of Transient
Accommodation business license from the City by no later than May 1st each year. All
requirements applicable to the particular level of business license and any additional conditions
placed on the business license must be completed and fully implemented by the business licensee
by August 1st. Failure to comply with the requirements applicable to the business license level,
or any additional conditions issued by the City Council, shall constitute sufficient grounds for
revocation, suspension, or non-renewal of the Transient Accommodation business license.
435.30. Property Safety Inspection. Pursuant to this Section, the City shall make safety
inspections to determine the condition of Transient Accommodations for the purpose of
enforcing the property maintenance code and the standards stipulated in this Section. The City
may enter, examine and survey at all reasonable times all Transient Accommodation lodging
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units, common areas, and operational areas. Safety inspections of the Lodging Units will occur
after obtaining consent from the occupants of the Lodging Units. In the event that an occupant
does not consent to entry by the City, and if there is probable cause to believe that an inspection
is warranted, then application may be made to the court for an administrative or other search
warrant for the purpose of inspecting the Lodging Unit and premises.
Subd. 1. A minimum of 15% of all Lodging Units shall be inspected during an annual
inspection. The determination of which lodging units to be inspection will be made by the City
to ensure that all Lodging Units will be inspection periodically.
Subd. 2. All Transient Accommodation common areas and operational areas shall be
include in every safety inspection.
Subd. 3. The property safety inspection shall be performed annually and is required prior
to the issuance of a new Transient Accommodation business license or the renewal of an existing
Transient Accommodation business license.
Subd. 4. All corrective action stipulated as part of the property safety inspection shall be
completed in the timeframe stipulated in the notice provided by the City. The corrective action
shall occur and be approved by the City prior to issuance or renewal of a Transient
Accommodation business license.
Subd. 5. During the annual Property Safety Inspection, City staff will inspect the
following:
A. Provisions in the property maintenance code.
B. Landscaping (trees, ground cover plants, cleanliness and maintenance, around
stairways)
a. Ground cover plants will not exceed three feet in height
b. Plants under windows must be maintained at a height that is below the
windowsill
c. Trees must be trimmed so the lower branches are at least give fee off the ground.
d. Landscaping cannot interfere with lighting distribution.
C. Units (each unit).
a. Door locks /dead bolts.
b. Window locks on all windows.
c. Number clearing identified at each unit.
d. Key control
e. Eye views in each door
f. Striker plate screws.
D. Common Areas
a. Landscaping
b. Surveillance (if required by this ordinance or provided by the property owner)
c. Trespass signs at all entrances and/or placed in locations that can be clearly seen
by all guests and visitors of guests.
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E. Perimeter
a. Landscaping
b. Surveillance (if required by this ordinance or provided by the property owner)
F. Lighting
a. Common areas
b. Building (s)
c. Trash enclosures
d. Entry and Exit points
e. Exterior of units
f. Parking lots
g. Laundry room
435.35. Business Licensee Fee. The fee for a Transient Accommodations business license
shall be as set forth by City Council resolution. The City Council may establish a separate fee
for each business license level.
435.40. Business License Period. All Transient Accommodations business licenses shall
expire on April 30th of each year.
435.45. Transfer of Business License. A Transient Accommodation business license
cannot be transferred to a new owner.
435.50. Minimum Transient Accommodation Standards. The following minimum
standards shall be maintained by each Transient Accommodation business license holder:
Subd. 1. Implement clear check-in policies (that must include, at a minimum, the
following:
A. Require all guests and all visitors, over the age of 17, to provide a photo ID, provide
home address and provide make, model and license plate number of the automobile that
will be parked in the lot. This information shall be maintained for 365 days.
B. Rent rooms only to people 21 years old or older.
C. Guests shall guarantee payment with a credit card to reserve a room as stipulated in
Section 1180 of City Code.
Subd. 2. Provide training, at least annually, to all staff members in cooperation with the
City of Plymouth.
Subd. 4. Provide name, address, e-mail and telephone information of all owners and those
with financial interest of the Transient Accommodation.
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Subd. 5. Provide name, address, e-mail and telephone information of all managers and
other responsible employee of the Transient Accommodation.
Subd. 6. Require a manager or other responsible employee to be on premises at all times.
Subd. 7. Inspect rooms of guests who refuse maid service or behave suspiciously.
435.55. Level I Transient Accommodation. A Level I Transient Accommodation is
eligible for a Transient Accommodation business license without needing to comply with any
special requirements beyond complying with any conditions the City Council may impose on the
business license. The business license shall be issued upon application, payment of applicable
fees, safety inspection, current certificates for fire and elevator inspections, and proper licensing
with all applicable government agencies, including the Minnesota Department of Health.
435.60. Level II Transient Accommodation. A Level II Transient Accommodation is
required to meet the following special requirements, designed to deter crime, in order to be
eligible for a Transient Accommodation business license, and shall comply with any conditions
the City Council may impose on the business license.
Subd. 1. Submit a management plan to the City detailing steps the establishment intends to
take to reduce criminal activity.
Subd. 2. Consult with the City to obtain such inspection services and advice regarding
crime prevention as may be needed to address the types and calls for service made to the
Transient Accommodation Property.
Subd. 3. Keep City apprised of activity occurring on the transient accommodation
property.
Subd. 4. Install and operate a surveillance camera, with a recorder, in the lobby at all
times.
Subd. 5. Undergo a City crime prevention assessment of the Transient Accommodation
property.
435.65. Level III Transient Accommodations are required to meet the following special
requirements, designed to deter crime, to be eligible for a Transient Accommodations business
license, and shall comply with any conditions the City Council may impose on the business
license.
Subd. 1. Conform to the special requirements set forth in 435.60 for a Level II Transient
Accommodation.
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Subd. 2. Conduct background checks on all owners, managers, and employees of the
Transient Accommodation.
Subd. 3. Hold semi-annual training sessions assisted by the City for all employees.
Subd. 4. Provide 24-hour front desk personnel that is either a manager, an employee that
has the ability to contact a manager at any time necessary, and/or has access to the surveillance
system and information stipulated in this ordinance.
Subd. 5. Enforce the following guest rules:
A. Lodging units cannot be rented for less than a six-hour period;
B. Prohibit guests from producing loud noises that unreasonably disturb the
tranquility of the other guests or those adjacent to the Transient Accommodation Property;
and
C. Alcohol may not be consumed in Transient Accommodation common areas
except for designated banquet or reception rooms or areas.
Subd. 6. Issue parking passes to all vehicles allowed to park on the Transient
Accommodation Property, with each pass marked with an issue date and expiration date.
Subd. 7. Remove all graffiti and repair all vandalism within seven (7) days of occurrence.
Subd. 8. Install lighting in all common areas with minimum maintained lighting of 1.5
foot-candles at ground level.
Subd. 9. Install and operate video monitoring equipment in all parking lots on the
Transient Accommodation Property that are monitored and recorded at the front desk at all
times.
Subd. 10. Have a security guard on the premises every day from 6:00 pm until 6:00 am.
Subd. 11. Submit to scheduled semi-annual audits by the City to verify compliance with the
above-referenced requirements.
435.70. Background Checks.
Subd. 1. To the extent a Transient Accommodation is required by this Section to conduct
background checks on its owners, managers, and employees, such background checks must
comply with and include the following:
A. A Minnesota statewide criminal history check covering at least the last three
years, which must be conducted by a company providing criminal history check services
utilizing the most recent update of Minnesota criminal history files;
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B. A statewide history check from the person's previous states of resident covering
the last three years if the person has not resided in Minnesota for at least the three years
preceding the history check; and
C. A criminal history check conducted in all seven counties in the Twin Cities
metropolitan area (counties of Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott and
Washington) covering at least the last three years, including all misdemeanor, gross
misdemeanor, and felony convictions.
Subd. 2. The Transient Accommodations shall retain the criminal history check
information for the duration of the person's employment, but in no case less than two years, and
shall make the information available for inspection upon request by the City Manager or the City
Manager's designee.
435.75. Revocation and Suspension of Business License. A Transient Accommodation
business license may be revoked, suspended, or not renewed by the City Council, upon
recommendation of the City Manager, in accordance with this Section.
Subd. 1. The City Council may revoke, suspend, or not renew a Transient Accommodation
business license upon any of the following grounds:
A. A false statement, misrepresentation, or fraudulent statement on any application
or other information or report required by this Section;
B. Failure to pay the application fee, fine, penalty, reinstatement fee, special
assessment, real estate taxes, or other financial claim due to the City under this Code;
C. Failure to comply with any of the special requirements imposed in this Section
applicable to the particular business license level;
D. Failure to comply with any of the conditions placed on the business license by the
City Council;
E. Failure to implement the management plan, if one is required, for the Transient
Accommodation.
F. Failure to continuously comply with any zoning, health, building, nuisance, or
other City Codes, including failing to comply with any corrective orders issued within the
time specified in the order;
G. Failure to obtain or maintain any licenses required for the Transient
Accommodation; or
H. Failure to comply with any other applicable federal, state, or local law, rule,
regulation, or ordinance.
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Subd. 2. A decision to revoke, suspend, or not renew a Transient Accommodation business
license shall be preceded by written notice to the applicant or business licensee of the alleged
grounds therefore and the applicant or business licensee will be given an opportunity to request a
hearing before the City Council before final action is taken to revoke, suspend, or not renew the
business license. An applicant or business licensee waives its right to a hearing by failing to
submit a written request for a hearing to the City within ten (10) days of the issuance of the
written notice. If a timely request for a hearing is received, the City Council shall conduct a
hearing at the next regularly scheduled City Council meeting and provide the applicant or
business licensee an opportunity to be hear.
Subd. 3. The written decision to revoke, suspend, or not renew a Transient
Accommodation business license shall identify the specific grounds for the decision. Upon
issuance of the written decision, no Lodging Unit within the Transient Accommodation may be
offered or used for any period of time by guests until a new Transient Accommodation business
license is issued.
435.80. Reapplication After Business License Action. Reapplication for a Transient
Accommodations business license after the City Council has revoked, suspended, or not renewed
a business license shall be in accordance with this Section.
Subd. 1. A Transient Accommodation business license may be suspended for up to ninety
(90) days and may, after the period of suspension, be reinstated subject to compliance with this
Section and any conditions imposed by the City Council at the time of suspension.
Subd. 2. A Transient Accommodation business license revoked or not renewed by the City
Council will not be reinstated or issued until the owner has applied for and secured a new
Transient Accommodation business license and complied with all conditions imposed at the time
of revocation or non-renewal. In no case shall a Transient Accommodation business license
revoked or not renewed be allowed to be reinstated or issued for a period of ninety (90) days.
The City Council may impose a period following the revocation or non-renewal of the owner's
previous business license during which a new Transient Accommodation business license may
be submitted. A decision not to renew a Transient Accommodation business license may take
the form of a suspension or revocation.
Subd. 3. An application for a new Transient Accommodation business license following
the revocation, suspension, or non-renewal of the business license must be accompanied by a
reinstatement fee, as specified by City Council resolution, in addition to all other application and
related fees.
Subd. 4. The conditions of approval of any subsequent application for a business license to
operate a Transient Accommodation on the same property following a period of revocation or
denial of renewal of a Transient Accommodation business license shall be based upon the
Transient Accommodation property's history or annual calls for service prior to the revocation or
non-renewal.
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Subd. 5. No subsequent application for a Transient Accommodation business license on
the same property following a period of revocation or non-renewal shall be approved unless the
applicant presents a corrective action plan that is approved by the City to help ensure the
conditions and causes of the prior revocation or non-renewal are appropriately addressed.
Implementation of, and compliance with, the corrective action plan shall be a condition of the
license.
435.85. Violations
Subd. 1. Any person, firm, or corporation who violates any provision of this Section is,
upon conviction, guilty of a misdemeanor. The penalty that may be imposed for a misdemeanor
is a sentence or not more than ninety (90) days or a fine of not more than $1,000, or both. Each
day upon which a violation or this Section occurs constitutes a separate offense.
Subd. 2. Nothing in this Section shall be construed as a waiver of any applicable state
license requirement or from compliance with any applicable civil and criminal laws.
435.90. Initial Business Licenses. Persons, firms, and corporations currently operating a
transient accommodation within the City of Plymouth shall obtain a Transient Accommodation
business license from the City within forty-five (45) days from the effective date of this
ordinance. The level of Transient Accommodation business license will be calculated based on
the annual calls for service from the previous year. Business licenses for subsequent years must
be obtained in accordance with the timelines established in this Section.
Section 2. Effective Date. This amendment shall take effect immediately upon its
passage.
APPROVED by the Plymouth City Council this XXXX day of XXX, 2017.
__________________________________
Kelli Slavik, Mayor
ATTEST:
_______________________________
Sandra R. Engdahl, City Clerk
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Plymouth has a significant hotel presence that includes seven hotels, 986 rooms and a total property valuation of over
$43 million. The hotel market represents one of the main places visitors, either for work, recreation or pleasure,
experience Plymouth. It is essential that the city’s hotels provide a safe experience to the traveling public, both for the
sake of the visitors and for the community’s reputation and quality of life. Unfortunately, there have been a number of
well documented incidents that merit a deeper review of the city’s hotel market. This report provides city officials trend
information that will be useful in further consideration or development of new policies regulating the market, all with
the intent of protecting public safety and other community interests.
The first step in this process was to analyze data from the Police Department regarding police incidents to each of
Plymouth’s seven hotels. In October, at my request, Jared Gilbert, Public Safety Analyst, began gathering historical data
on all reported police incidents at Plymouth hotels. This data breaks down in detail the types of incidents at each hotel
from 2011 through 2015. The Plymouth Hotels Incident History Report as prepared by Plymouth Public Safety is
included as a supplement to this report.
This report’s objective is to not only look at police calls for service, but to take a much broader look and to answer
several basic questions:
1. How many rooms does each hotel have?
2. What is the market value of each hotel?
3. What is the market value of each hotel room?
4. What amount does each hotel pay to the city in annual property taxes?
5. What is the police call distribution per hotel?
6. Do the city property taxes collected from each hotel cover the cost of providing annual police services?
7. Is there a correlation between hotel room rates and the number of police calls?
8. Have the hotel owners reinvested in their buildings and if so, how much has been reinvested?
This report gathers data regarding property valuation, tax impacts, service demand, and room counts to provide a
broader perspective. While much of the information draws correlations, there are questions of causation which are not
directly addressed here. While no single measure should be used to infer action be taken, the data, in its totality, begins
to demonstrate trends that may merit further consideration and action.
For clarification purposes, please note that the Ramada has been rebranded twice over the last several years from the
Kelly Inn to the Best Western Inn to the Ramada.
Memorandum
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Dave Callister, City Manager
Date: November 23, 2016
Item: Report on Plymouth Hotels
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How many rooms does each hotel have? The City of Plymouth currently has seven hotels with 986 rooms that were
constructed between 1973 and 2007 and allocated as follows:
What is the market value of each hotel? Per the Hennepin County Assessor, the total market value for 2016 for all
seven hotels is just over $43 million, an average of $6.1 million per hotel, with a high of $13 million for the Crowne Plaza
and a low of $2 million for the Red Roof Inn. The market values for Plymouth hotels have been stable since 2010.
Exceptions to this include the Country Inn & Suites which has average annual market value increases of 4.4% and the
Comfort Inn with average annual value increases of 3.1%.
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What is the market value of each hotel room? The 2016 market values are broken down per hotel room which
illustrates that the city has a wide range of product in its hotel room inventory. The market value per room ranges from
a low of $16,931 for the Red Roof Inn to a high of $87,714 for the Residence Inn. The age and type of construction for
each hotel has some correlation with market value as does the amount of reinvestment or lack of reinvestment
(maintenance/upgrades) in each property.
What amount does each hotel pay to the city in annual property taxes? The amount of city property taxes per
hotel was calculated and divided by the number of rooms, resulting in a total city property tax per hotel room. Each
room in the Red Roof Inn paid $57 in city property taxes in 2016. Each room in the Days Inn paid $69 in city property
taxes in 2016. The highest city property taxes paid per hotel room was the Residence Inn at $303.
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The total annual city property taxes collected from each hotel follows a similar pattern with a high of $45,569 for the
Residence Inn and a low of $6,633 for the Red Roof Inn. The average is $21,213.
What is the police call distribution per hotel? The following charts compare the percentage of the total hotel
rooms city-wide versus the percentage of police calls for each hotel. For example, the Red Roof Inn has 12% of the total
hotel rooms in the city while they received 43% of the total police calls to hotel properties. Conversely, the Residence
Inn has 12% of the total hotel rooms and received only 5% of the total police calls in 2015.
Do the city property taxes collected from each hotel cover the cost of providing annual police services? In order to
obtain a general idea of the cost of each police call, we created a simple formula to calculate the cost of each police call
in Plymouth. This was done by taking an average of the total annual police budgets from 2011 to 2015 and dividing by
the average annual city-wide police calls from 2011 to 2015. This calculation results in a cost of $247 per police call
which was then multiplied by each hotel’s average annual police calls from 2011 to 2015. The estimated cost for annual
police calls varies from a low of $3,832 at the County Inn & Suites to a high of $45,460 at the Red Roof Inn. There are
many variables that are not accounted for in this methodology, but this ratio illustrates a simple means of relative cost
allocation.
Page 17
5
The next step calculated the five year average of city property taxes collected from each hotel to determine whether or
not the cost of providing police services exceeds the amount of city property taxes collected. The result of this exercise
is that two hotels greatly exceed what is collected in property taxes versus police services received (calls). The Red Roof
Inn has a negative variance of $43,404 and the Days Inn a negative variance of $19,041. For example, the Red Roof Inn
received 22 times more in police services than what they paid towards police property taxes. Similarly, the Days Inn
received nine times more in police services than what they received. Two hotels (Ramada, Comfort Inn) also had small
negative variances while the Residence Inn, Country Inn & Suites and Crowne Plaza had annual positive balances,
meaning the cost of providing police services was less than what the city received in property taxes for this purpose.
It is important to keep in mind that in addition to police services, city property taxes cover a broad range of services
including streets and public works, parks and recreation, fire, community development and general services.
Is there a correlation between hotel room rates and the number of police calls? When reviewing police calls
and hotel room rates, there appears to be similar trends as illustrated in earlier questions. Based on daily room rates,
the graph below shows a direct correlation between lower priced hotels and higher volumes of police calls. Conversely,
there is also a direct correlation between higher priced hotels and lower police calls.
Page 18
6
Have the hotel owners reinvested in their buildings and if so, how much has been reinvested? Building
permit data from 2006 through 2016 was reviewed to determine the amount of reinvestment in each hotel over this
time span. For comparison purposes, we have excluded the Residence Inn because almost all of the permits issued were
for new construction in 2007 ($10.8 million). One hotel, the Comfort Inn has spent $957,000 on improvements to its
adjoining restaurant (Axel’s and Lucky’s 13 Pub). We have excluded restaurant related permit values to obtain a better
idea of reinvestment amounts spent strictly on hotel rooms and common areas.
Each hotel has reinvested at different rates over the last 10 years. Certainly, the age of the building as well as how well
it has been maintained are both factors that have some correlation to how much or how little is reinvested. The
Comfort Inn has reinvested $948,793 ($8,179 per room) since 2006 while the Days Inn has reinvested only $148,562
($1,338 per room) during this same period. Of the $148,562 in total permit value for the Days Inn since 2006, $77,200
or 52%, has been issued in 2015 and 2016 for repairing water damage and mold, permits for what most would consider
emergency repairs, not reinvestment in the property.
At this time, the data presented is for informational purposes only and includes data for all Plymouth hotels. The council
may wish to review additional information, discuss this matter further or consider amending the nuisance ordinance to
include a system based on tracking and penalizing the number of violations. There may be other ideas to explore that
would address hotel management behavior and encourage reinvestment with the ultimate goal of making our hotels
and community safer. Please let me know if you are interested in scheduling a future study session on this topic.
For more specific data on police calls, please review the attached Hotel Incident Activity, 5-Year Analysis.
Page 19
Information Request Report
Plymouth Public Safety Department
Jared Gilbert, Public Safety Analyst | jgilbert@plymouthmn.gov | 763.509.5673
11/20/2017 Page 1 of 4
Hotel Incident Activity
5-Year Analysis
November 20, 2017
Contents
Request ......................................................................................................................................................... 2
Results ........................................................................................................................................................... 2
Page 20
Information Request Report
Plymouth Public Safety Department
Jared Gilbert, Public Safety Analyst | jgilbert@plymouthmn.gov | 763.509.5673
11/20/2017 Page 2 of 4
Request
This report was prepared in response to a request for summary and trend information on police activity
at local hotels. The analysis covers the last five full years of data for each hotel: 2011 through 2015 for
Days Inn and 2012 through 2016 for all other hotels. Additional annual incident activity volumes are
reported here but not included in the calculations. A breakdown of call types is included across all
hotels, ranked by frequency of occurrence.
Results
The most recent and complete five years of data for each hotel are highlighted green in this table. Days
Inn was only operating at partial capacity for 2016 and closed for 2017. These years (highlighted
orange) were not used in the five year average calculation for Days Inn. The grey colored cells are
additional annual rate data and not used in the five year calculation.
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 5 Year Average
Annual Rate
Red Roof Inn 1.13 1.47 1.41 2.11 2.06 1.47 1.28 1.70
Days Inn 0.61 0.73 0.78 0.79 0.94 0.82 0.02 0.77
Ramada Inn 0.30 0.33 0.38 0.37 0.47 0.52 0.61 0.41
Comfort Inn 0.24 0.34 0.41 0.39 0.41 0.33 0.27 0.38
Crowne Plaza 0.14 0.16 0.29 0.27 0.21 0.19 0.30 0.22
Residence Inn 0.16 0.15 0.16 0.28 0.25 0.15 0.26 0.20
Country Inn & Suites 0.08 0.09 0.08 0.05 0.18 0.13 0.19 0.11
0.0
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5
Annual Incidents per Room Rate
Most Recent 5 Years of Data by Hotel
Comfort Inn
Country Inn & Suites
Crowne Plaza
Days Inn
Ramada Inn
Red Roof Inn
Residence Inn
Page 21
Information Request Report
Plymouth Public Safety Department
Jared Gilbert, Public Safety Analyst | jgilbert@plymouthmn.gov | 763.509.5673
11/20/2017 Page 3 of 4
Hotel #Rooms
Comfort Inn 116
Country Inn & Suites 132
Crowne Plaza 243
Days Inn 111
Ramada Inn 149
Red Roof Inn 116
Residence Inn 119
Results show annual incident rates are flat over time for most hotels. However, the data indicate a
trend of increasing incident rates for Days Inn, Ramada Inn, and Country Inn & Suites.
This dataset was queried to include all incident types except the following. For all of these, incidents
with these titles were excluded. Additionally, those coded as a medical or domestic call were excluded
based on the nature of the request and overlap with certain incident titles.
Cancel/Cancel no Contact
Void
Traffic Stop, Traffic Offense
Citation, Written Warning, Verbal Warning
Medical title, MED code
Domestic title, DISDOM code
Spot Checking
Below is list of all incident types across all the hotels for the period of 2011 through November 15, 2017.
The total counts noted here are simply aggregate counts over that period for ranking purposes.
Page 22
Information Request Report
Plymouth Public Safety Department
Jared Gilbert, Public Safety Analyst | jgilbert@plymouthmn.gov | 763.509.5673
11/20/2017 Page 4 of 4
Incident Type Total Count
Suspicious Activity or Person 297
Information 277
Health & Welfare 269
Phone Call 165
Prostitution 150
Alarm 147
Miscellaneous Public 143
Theft 138
Disturb Peace 128
Civil Matter 126
Warrant 120
911 Hangup 117
Assist 109
Theft from Vehicle 65
Controlled Substance 63
Disturbance 58
Noise 57
Miscellaneous Officer 47
Criminal Damage to Property 45
Domestic Assault 43
Animal 40
Traffic 39
Assault 36
Liquor 27
System Down 26
REPO 21
Hit & Run 21
Parking 20
Harassment 19
DWI 18
DOC 18
Lost 17
Criminal Sexual Conduct 16
Trespass 14
Accident 14
Order Violation 14
False info 13
Fraud 12
Ordinance 12
K9 10
License 10
Fire 10
Burglary-Commercial 8
Crash 8
Parking Complain 8
MV Theft 8
OFP File 8
Incident Type Total Count
Missing Person 7
Recovered 7
Burglary-Residential 7
Found 7
Terroristic Threats 6
K9 Assist Other Agency 5
Suicide Attempt 5
Stolen Property possession 5
Robbery 5
Juvenile 5
Predatory Offender 4
License/Suspend 4
Crime Against Family 4
Death 4
Obstruct Legal Process 4
Indecent Exposure 3
Transport 3
Serve Papers 3
Suspicious Act 3
Crime against Gov 3
Parking Permit 3
Neighbor Dispute 3
Lift Assist 3
Narcotics Compl 2
Utility Check 2
License/Revoked 2
Locked Out/In 2
Assist Other Agency (Non-Warrant) 2
Weapons offense 2
Counterfeit 2
Pickup/Warrant 1
Obscenity 1
Ems/Pri 3 1
Vul Adult 1
Burglary-Attempted 1
Tampering with MV 1
Assist Other Agency 1
Juvenile curfew 1
Police/Pri 3 1
Drill Or Test 1
Subject Stop 1
Juvenile runaway 1
Compliance Check Alcohol 1
Safety Check 1
Forgery 1
Report prepared by Jared Gilbert, Public Safety Analyst
Page 23
SPECIAL
COUNCIL MEETING
December 12, 2017
Agenda
Number: 2B
To: Mayor and Council
Prepared by: Dave Callister, City Manager
Reviewed by:
Item: Set Future Study Sessions
Pending Study Session Topics (at least three Council members have approved the following study
items on the list):
None at this time.
Other Council requests for Study Session Topics:
None at this time.
Staff’s requests for Study Sessions:
• Plymouth Creek Center Improvements (February 13 or March 27 at 5:30 p.m.)
• State of the streets in Plymouth (April or May)
Page 1
SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT
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20
21 22 23 24 25 26
27
28 29 30 31
January 2018
3400 Plymouth Boulevard
Plymouth, MN 55447 OFFICIAL CITY CALENDAR Phone: 763-509-5000
Fax: 763-509-5060
7:00 PM
PARK & REC
ADVISORY
COMMISSION
MEETING
Council Chambers
SUN TUES MON WED THUR FRI SAT
CHANGES ARE NOTED IN RED
5:30 PM
SPECIAL COUNCIL
MEETING
Goals/Legislative
Priorities
Medicine Lake Room
7:00 PM
REGULAR COUNCIL
MEETING
Council Chambers
7:00 PM
PLANNING
COMMISSION
MEETING
Council Chambers
NEW YEAR’S DAY
CITY OFFICES
CLOSED
7:00 PM
PLANNING
COMMISSION
MEETING
Council Chambers
7:00 PM
ENVIRONMENTAL
QUALITY
COMMITTEE
MEETING
Medicine Lake Room
MARTIN LUTHER
KING JR.
BIRTHDAY
CITY OFFICES
CLOSED
7:00 PM
HOUSING AND
REDEVELOPMENT
AUTHORITY
MEETING
Medicine Lake
Room
5:30 PM
SPECIAL COUNCIL
MEETING
Highway 169 Mobility
Study
Medicine Lake Room
7:00 PM
REGULAR COUNCIL
MEETING
Council Chambers
Page 2
SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT
1 2 3
3:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Fire & Ice Festival
Parkers Lake Park
4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11 12 13 14
7:00 PM
ENVIRONMENTAL
QUALITY
COMMITTEE
MEETING
Medicine Lake Room
15 16 17
18 19 20 21 22 23 24
25 26 27 28
SUN TUES MON WED THUR FRI SAT
February 2018
3400 Plymouth Boulevard
Plymouth, MN 55447 OFFICIAL CITY CALENDAR Phone: 763-509-5000
Fax: 763-509-5060
7:00 PM
PLANNING
COMMISSION
MEETING
Council Chambers
7:00 PM
PARK & REC
ADVISORY
COMMISSION
MEETING
Council Chambers
7:00 PM
HOUSING AND
REDEVELOPMENT
AUTHORITY
MEETING
Medicine Lake Room
7:00 PM
REGULAR COUNCIL
MEETING
Council Chambers
5:30-7:00 PM
Board &
Commission Social
City Hall Lobby
7:00 PM
REGULAR COUNCIL
MEETING
Council Chambers
PRESIDENTS
DAY
CITY OFFICES
CLOSED
7:00 PM
PLANNING
COMMISSION
MEETING
Council Chambers
Page 3
SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT
1 2 3
4
1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Healthy Living Fair
Plymouth Creek
Center
5 6 7 8 9 10
11 12 13
14 15 16 17
18 19 20 21
7:00 PM
PLANNING
COMMISSION
MEETING
Council Chambers
22 23 24
25 26 27 28 29 30 31
March 2018
3400 Plymouth Boulevard
Plymouth, MN 55447 OFFICIAL CITY CALENDAR Phone: 763-509-5000
Fax: 763-509-5060
7:00 PM
PLANNING
COMMISSION
MEETING
Council Chambers
7:00 PM
ENVIRONMENTAL
QUALITY
COMMITTEE
MEETING
Medicine Lake Room
7:00 PM
HOUSING AND
REDEVELOPMENT
AUTHORITY
MEETING
Medicine Lake Room
7:00 PM
REGULAR COUNCIL
MEETING
Council Chambers
SUN TUES MON WED THUR FRI SAT
7:00 PM
PARK & REC
ADVISORY
COMMISSION
MEETING
Council Chambers
7:00 PM
REGULAR COUNCIL
MEETING
Council Chambers
Page 4
SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT
1 2 3 4
7:00 PM
PLANNING
COMMISSION
MEETING
Council Chambers
5 6 7
8 9 10
7:00 PM
REGULAR
COUNCIL MEETING
Council Chambers
11 12
7:00 PM
PARK & REC
ADVISORY
COMMISSION
MEETING
Council Chambers
13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26
7:00 PM
HOUSING AND
REDEVELOPMENT
AUTHORITY
MEETING
Medicine Lake Room
27 28
29 30
April 2018
3400 Plymouth Boulevard
Plymouth, MN 55447 OFFICIAL CITY CALENDAR Phone: 763-509-5000
Fax: 763-509-5060
7:00 PM
ENVIRONMENTAL
QUALITY
COMMITTEE
MEETING
Medicine Lake Room
7:00 PM
PLANNING
COMMISSION
MEETING
Council Chambers
SUN TUES MON WED THUR FRI SAT
CHANGES ARE NOTED IN RED
Primavera Plymouth Creek Center
7:00 PM
REGULAR
COUNCIL MEETING
Council Chambers
Primavera Plymouth Creek Center
Page 5