The following definitions shall apply to this Chapter.
"Administrative action"
means the proposal, drafting, development, consideration, amendment, enactment or defeat by any board or commission, or, when authorized, by the city manager or any department head, of plans, proposals, conditions, maps, or other administrative projects carried out in the ordinary course of municipal operations by staff members and employees of the city, or proposed for adoption or approval by the planning commission of the city, or any other city agency or body, or any action subject to approval by the city manager or any department head.
"Legislative action"
means the drafting, introduction, consideration, modification, enactment or defeat of any motion, minte order, resolution, ordinance, amendment, report, nomination, or other matter by the City Council, the Redevelopment Agency, the Community Services District Board or the Planning Commission of the City of Cathedral City, or by any committee or subcommittee thereof, or by a city officer or member of the city staff regularly working with or preparing reports or recommendations to or for any such body.
"Lobbyist"
means any individual who is employed for any economic consideration, or contracts for any economic consideration, other than reimbursement for travel expenses which are both documented and reasonable, to communicate directly or through his or her agents with any member of the city council or any member of the Planning Commission of the City of Cathedral City, or with any city officer or member of the city staff regularly working with or preparing reports or recommendations to or for the City Council, the Redevelopment Agency, the Community Services District Board or the Planning Commission of the City of Cathedral City.
(Ord. 335 § 1, 1991)
A. 
It is unlawful for any lobbyist to appear before any meeting of the City Council, Redevelopment Agency, Community Services District Board or of the Planning Commission, or to contact any city officer or member of the city staff regularly working with or preparing reports or recommendations to or for any such body, for the purpose of influencing the official action of any such body, officer or member of city staff in relation to any administrative or legislative action, for which his or her services have been retained or for which he or she is receiving any economic compensation, unless such lobbyist first discloses in writing filed with the City Clerk that said lobbyist is serving as a lobbyist, and discloses in writing each person, firm or entity which is providing any economic consideration to the lobbyist relating to the matter then under consideration, and the matter or matters for or in relation to which he or she has been retained to provide such services. Filing of a complete and accurate lobbyist certification form shall constitute compliance with this requirement for disclosure.
B. 
In addition, when making an oral presentation to any meeting of the city council, redevelopment agency, community services district board, or planning commission, it is unlawful for any lobbyist to fail to identify the client he or she is representing immediately after identifying himself or herself.
(Ord. 335 § 1, 1991)
No person shall be deemed to be a lobbyist for purposes of this chapter who draws a regular salary or other regular compensation from his or her full or part time employer, whose duties for that employer primarily consist of duties not related to lobbying, and not primarily related to making presentations to city councils, boards, commissions and other public bodies, and provided further that such person discloses to the body or person before whom he or she appears that he or she is in fact so employed, and discloses the identity of his or her employer. This exemption shall not apply to a consultant or other person or entity hired as an independent contractor, not carried on the employer's regular payroll. However, an architect, planner, engineer, or attorney specifically retained to assist in the approval process of a particular project or issue shall disclose his or her interest and the person, firm or entity retaining his or her services, but need not file a lobbyist certificate form.
(Ord. 335 § 1, 1991)
Individual lobbyists shall prepare a lobbyist certification pursuant to this ordinance for filing with the city clerk, making full disclosure of the lobbying firm or lobbyist employer or any other person, firm or entity which is providing compensation to the individual lobbyist in relation to any matter then being considered by the city council, redevelopment agency, community services district board, planning commission or any other official or staff member of the city.
(Ord. 335 § 1, 1991)
Every individual lobbyist shall file or cause to be filed his or her lobbyist certification with the city clerk prior to appearing before any board, commission, city council, redevelopment agency board, or community services district board or planning commission on behalf of a client, or within 10 days after first contacting a city staff member or elected official on behalf of a client.
(Ord. 335 § 1, 1991)
Each individual lobbyist filing his or her lobbyist certification may be charged not more than $25 per fiscal year, or the then remaining portion thereof.
(Ord. 335 § 1, 1991)
Within 20 days after the commencement of a new fiscal year (July 1 through June 30), each lobbyist shall renew his or her lobbyist certification.
(Ord. 335 § 1, 1991)
If any change occurs in any of the information contained in a lobbyist certification, including the representation of a lobbying firm or lobbyist employer or other person, firm or entity not previously identified, or the retention to represent an additional person or entity, for any economic consideration, an appropriate amendment shall be filed with the city clerk within twenty days after the change.
(Ord. 335 § 1, 1991)
A lobbyist certification, as required for each individual lobbyist, shall include the lobbyist's full name, business address, and telephone number; a recent three by four inch black and white photograph of the lobbyist, or its equivalent satisfactory to the city clerk; the name of the lobbyist's firm, lobbyist employer, and any person, firm or entity retaining the services of the lobbyist for compensation for a particular purpose, if known at the time of filing; and such other information as may be reasonably required by the city manager.
(Ord. 335 § 1, 1991)
The purpose of this chapter is to assure that any decision maker or person having any influence on a decision maker shall be aware of the fact that a person seeking to affect administrative or legislative action is or may be receiving economic consideration for his or her efforts to affect such administrative or legislative action. No person is precluded from appearing before any meeting of the city council, redevelopment agency, community services district board, or planning commission, or from meeting with any city officer or city staff member, for the purpose of influencing legislative or administrative action, but is only precluded from doing so without notifying the city of his or her economic interest in such matter. This chapter is also intended to assure that the person, firm or organization providing compensation to an individual lobbyist is fully identified and that the interests of that person, firm or organization in the particular legislative or administrative action is, or may be, publicly disclosed.
(Ord. 335 § 1, 1991)
The city clerk is authorized to advise the city council, redevelopment agency, community services district board, planning commission, or any city officer or staff member whom the city clerk knows or has reason to believe the lobbyist may contact relating to legislative or administrative action that the person has filed as a lobbyist pursuant to this chapter. Notice to the public of the requirement for filing such a report, and for making an oral disclosure at the time of any presentation, may be included on agendas of the city council, redevelopment agency, community services district, and planning commission.
(Ord. 335 § 1, 1991)
A violation of Sections 5.30.020, 5.30.040, 5.30.050, 5.30.070, 5.30.080 or 5.30.090 of this chapter by any person responsible for committing, causing or maintaining such violation shall constitute an infraction violation which shall be subject to the provisions set forth in Chapter 13.65, including, but not limited to, the imposition of any and all criminal penalties set forth therein.
(Ord. 506 § 3, 1999)
Any person convicted of an infraction shall, for each separate violation of this chapter, be subject to: (a) a fine in an amount not to exceed two hundred fifty dollars for a first conviction of an offense; (b) a fine in an amount not to exceed five hundred dollars for a second conviction of the same offense within a twelve-month period of the date of the first offense; and (c) a fine in an amount not to exceed seven hundred fifty dollars for the third conviction of the same offense within a twelve-month period of the date of the first offense. The fine for a fourth and subsequent convictions of the same offense within a twelve-month period of the date of the first offense shall be one thousand dollars.
(Ord. 506 § 3, 1999)
In lieu of issuing an infraction citation, the city may issue an administrative citation, pursuant to Chapter 13.58, to any person responsible for committing, causing or maintaining a violation of Section 5.30.020, 5.30.040, 5.30.050, 5.30.070, 5.30.080 or 5.30.090 of this chapter. Nothing in this section shall preclude the city from also issuing an infraction citation upon the occurrence of the same offense on a separate day.
(Ord. 506 § 3, 1999)
Note: Former § 5.30.160, Administrative fine, adopted by Ord. 506 was repealed by Ord. 892, 10/22/2025.
Nothing in this chapter shall preclude the city from pursuing the remedies provided by Chapter 13.140, including, but not limited to, denial or revocation of certificates of occupancy, issuance of stop work orders and injunctive relief.
(Ord. 506 § 3, 1999)