San Diego Hospitality Resource Panel

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HRP - Early Assistance Team - Procedures

Following notification about a business:

Agencies will have two weeks to respond by adding any information they have about the business.
A regular monthly meeting will be scheduled with the core team.
Depending upon the nature of complaints or issues, and the frequency of contact among other agencies, a business may be identified as one to call in to an EAT meeting. Relevant agencies, associations and BIA for the business district will be notified. The business owner will be invited to the regularly scheduled meeting. Prior to the meeting, the owner will be provided with an opportunity for an independent risk assessment of their business.
The meeting will follow a problem solving/conflict resolution/mediation agenda, with the goal to inform the owner of some of the issues, get clarification on what might be underlying causes, and define a process to resolve any conflicts or concerns. A milestone schedule will be established for the business, as well as referral to appropriate resources to assist the owner.
Rectification of the conflicts will be monitored and additional actions taken as required.
An annual forum will be held to review EAT activities to refine the process, identify patterns and determine educational programs to address emerging patterns of violations.

HRP - Early Assistance Team - Process

HRP - Early Assistance Team - Benefits

As a result of these changes it is expected the following will occur:

There will be a reduction in risks to public health and safety due to irresponsible practices of hospitality businesses.
here will be an overall improvement of public service and accommodation supporting a more professional hospitality industry to serve residents and visitors.
There will be a more efficient method to monitor eating and drinking establishments and their economic contribution
There will be a reduction in the failure rate of businesses,
·The permitting process will be more efficient resulting in less time by each agency to explain rules and procedures or the need to resubmit applications due to errors or omissions,
There will be less costs associated with administrative hearings for denial of license or permit.
There will be fewer conflicts with local planning committees because businesses will be better prepared and will have organized their presentations more effectively in anticipation of resident’s concerns.

HRP - Early Assistance Team - Membership

Over the past year, the following organizations highlighted in bold have been involved in meetings to develop the EAT. Others are proposed as additional members. Those in RED will be the core team.

Safety

Hospitality

Development

City of San Diego

City Attorney
Environmental Services
Fire and Rescue Services
Neighborhood Code Compliance
Police Department – Vice
Police Department - Patrol
Public Works

San Diego County Department of Environmental Health, Food and Housing Division

California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control

Food and Beverage Association of San Diego County

California Restaurant Association San Diego Chapter

Convention and Visitors Bureau

Business Improvement Districts

Downtown
Gaslamp
Hillcrest
Ocean Beach
Old Town
Pacific Beach

Centre City Development Corporation

Citizen's Assistance Program

Development Services

Office of Small Business

Office of Special Events

San Diego Downtown Residents Group

HRP - Early Assistance Team - Process

The Early Assistance Team will review current membership and add perspectives as required to assure balance and input from all key stakeholders. They will work to define a specific plan to implement and administer the above strategies. This would include:

Hospitality Roundtables: Quarterly meetings in key dining and late night entertainment districts with business owners and managers to review upcoming events and activities, report on challenges during the past quarter and refine strategies for managing and policing the district during peak periods

Economic Impact Assessment: Monitor economic, employment and social benefits from the district and determine appropriate allocation of resources to manage activities in the district during high peak periods.

High Service Demand – Nuisance Abatement: Participating agencies will revise the process of receiving complaints related to licensed beverage businesses. As complaints come in about these businesses, criteria will define those businesses to be shared among the Safety Agencies. An email notice will be sent to each key agency contact notifying them of the posting.

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Overview

Membership

Process

Benefits

San Diego HRP - Early Assistance Team

Entertainment districts are becoming a proactive tool for economic development in many cities, adding jobs, a social benefit, and additional tax revenue. Entertainment policing and security is a new coordinated approach to reducing crime and accidents as evening and late night activity increases. City services are not always consistent with growing demand so cities seek to unite resources and work more directly with establishments on security.

During the next decade and beyond the growth in small, independently owned businesses serving food and/or licensed beverages to the public will increase. Of all business sectors, the hospitality industry, including lodging, entertainment, eating and drinking establishments, have one of the highest rates of business failures. In the process of failing, many businesses engage in practices that may increase risk to public health and safety, as well as to creating greater demand on public services such as police calls for service for disturbances.

To meet this challenge, the Hospitality Resource Panel developed the Hospitality Business Orientation, a three hour seminar that provides information to assist potential business owners understand the permit process, code compliance and resources from associations and schools.

In addition, the the Early Assistance Team formed to collaborate on sharing information, developing more cooperative strategies for policing entertainment districts and as a formal central point of contact and referral for complaints about food and/or licensed beverage businesses.