75C - BAIL BOND FIRMS - Laserfiche WebLink

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F. G. H. I. Ordinance No. NS-2613 Page 2 of 8 facilities between January 1, 2002 and June 17, 2004. There have been at least twenty-eight (28) calls for service for the bail bond uses outside of this 2000-foot radius during this same period. If unregulated, bail bond uses would create detrimental impacts to the surrounding areas, including adjacent single family residences for the following reasons: 1. Unlike most service or office uses in the City, bail bond uses are typically open twenty-four (24) hours per day, and often include a provision for employees to actually room (i.e., sleep) at the business during night hours, which if not properly regulated is incompatible with other professional or commercial uses and adjacent residential areas. Unlike most service or office uses in the City, bail bond uses typically include a major on-site security component (e.g., armed security guards, "bullet-proof' glass, and controlled visitor parking) that, if not properly regulated, is incompatible with other professional uses and adjacent residential areas. Bail bond uses in the City and in other cities concentrate in certain areas and such concentrations, if not properly regulated, could create significant secondary effects such as lowering of property values, an increase in crime, and failure of these areas to recycle to new, superior professional uses. Unregulated bail bond uses, particularly when located immediately adjacent to single family neighborhoods, constitute an incompatible use to the City's single-family residential zoning district. On July 25, 2004 the Los Angeles Times ran a story entitled "Probes Target Bail Bond Firms." This article discusses the serious problems the court systems are currently experiencing with bail bond companies issuing bail bonds without requiring sufficient collateral, and as such there are millions of dollars in bail forfeitures. The Request for Council Action for this ordinance dated September 7, 2004 and duly signed by the city manager and all accompanying material including those items referenced above, shall, by this reference be incorporated herein, and together with this ordinance, any amendments or supplements and the oral testimony before the City Council, shall constitute the necessary findings for this ordinance. The City Council has considered all of the written and oral testimony offered concerning whether to adopt this ordinance. Based upon this record the City Council finds that the standards set forth in this ordinance, and each of them, are necessary to reduce the negative impacts associated with the unregulated proliferation of bail bond uses. 2. 3. 4. 5. 75C-3