New Ordinance Gives Santa Rosa Teeth to Fine Health Order Violators

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A week after Sonoma supervisors approved a measure to fine health order violators, the city of Santa Rosa followed suit on Tuesday, giving Sonoma County’s largest city the option of cracking down on those who ignore mask and distancing rules.

The new ordinance, passed on a unanimous vote and effective immediately, means city code enforcement officers can issue citations and fines to individuals and businesses that violate the county’s coronavirus health order.

Two code enforcement officers will initially be assigned to following up on complaints, with an emphasis on warnings for now.

The ordinance mirrors the county’s, with possible fines of $100 for individuals, and up to $10 thousand for businesses. As in the county’s jurisdiction, law enforcement officers would still have the option of investigating serious violations as criminal misdemeanors.

The city council did add an exemption from their new ordinance for landlords, who they believe have little control over the actions of renters. The council agreed that the burden for violations should fall on the renters themselves. And they did much the same thing for Airbnb hosts, exempting them from responsibility for their short-term renters, instead requiring only that they provide renters with information about Sonoma County’s coronavirus health orders and requirements.