Some rooms at Frontier Motel on North Carson shut down Monday, considered unsafe for human occupancy
Submitted by Jeff Munson on Mon, 04/12/2021 - 3:50pm
The Carson City Nuisance Task Force, made up of Carson City Department heads and health officials conducted an inspection Monday of the Frontier Motel on North Carson Street and immediately began the process of condemning multiple rooms at the motel, having determined they are unsafe for human occupancy.
The inspection of the property on Monday morning determined a number of the motel rooms were a chronic nuisance, with multiple health and safety code violations and unfit for humans to live in. A final determination from the city is under review.
Several resources including the Salvation Army, the Red Cross, and local churches were alerted and are currently finding those who occupied the motel — which was a permanent residence for many — places to live in and stay.
"Every aid agency has been tapped to see the folks that have to leave have a place to go," said Carson City Sheriff Furlong. "We are not suggesting the tenants are suspect or at fault. The tenants are the victims. This is the management's responsibility."
The Carson City Board of Supervisor’s have agendized to discuss and take possible action Thursday on an order to revoke the motel's business license. The city has noted the motel is a haven for drug use, physical abuse, and numerous health concerns.
On Monday, Carson City Sheriff Ken Furlong sent City Manager Nancy Paulson the following:
Most of the Sheriff's Office information platforms and reporting mechanisms are designed to highlight "hot spots" within the community where the electronic systems and personnel can direct attention to challenges. For many years, the Frontier Motel has been highlighted for a number of reasons as a "hot spot." Repeatedly, the Departments Special Enforcement Unit, along with the Sheriff, have spoken to management regarding our concerns. And repeatedly, management of the business has promised to stand up to the challenges, and even repeatedly informed the Sheriff that the business was on the cusp of selling.
Early in 2021, the Coroner's Office brought additional information to the Sheriff regarding a spike in the number of deaths at the Frontier Motel and the conditions of the rooms that were being seen. The Sheriff instructed the Investigations Division to not only look at the deaths, but to include calls for service to the property. Of recent, it was opined that several deaths by suicide and drug overdoses had occurred on this property. And, in addition, the Douglas County Sheriff's Office is currently prosecuting a murder that took place in their jurisdiction that had a direct connection with the Frontier Motel and possible drug use.
In all cases, it is the opinion of the Sheriff that the tenants of the Frontier Motel are being subjected to victimization by the business who has repeatedly failed to take on the warnings and offers of assistance that have been extended. The Frontier Motel has long had a reputation for illegal activities that exceed the Sheriff's Office ability to counter, especially considering the need to apply resources throughout the community. Without hesitation, the Sheriff's Office views the constructive policy and practices of the business to be a verified risk to the health, safety, and welfare of its tenants and only choses to mask the problem over and over.
While drug use and thefts have often resulted in responses by the Sheriff's Office, the spike in deaths from this location unquestionably suggest that the management and ownership of the business is victimizing the tenants and should be closed immediately."
According to the agenda that is to be heard Thursday, the Carson City Sheriff's Office has observed that the hotel located at 1718 North Carson Street, is a location that is frequented by “vagrants and criminals,” with associated activities that result in increased demand for the Sheriff's office services.
The agenda states The Carson City Department of Health and Human Services has observed that the hotel units have had bed bugs, mice and cockroaches. CCMC 4.04.210 establishes the process for suspending, canceling or revoking a business license based on "good cause", which includes the commission of, or permitting or causing the commission of, any act in the operation of the business which act is made unlawful or is prohibited by any ordinance, rule or law of Carson City, or state or federal government and the existence of unsanitary conditions at, near or in the premises which cause or tend to create a public nuisance or which injuriously affects the public health, safety or welfare.
The Sheriff’s Office collected data and completed a comparative study of calls for service to seven local long term motels.
The data collected revealed that the Frontier Motel has almost twice as many calls for service as the other properties and that those calls for service are increasing year after year, and deputies have made numerous drug arrests at the location.
“Due to the Royal Inn/ Frontier Motel management’s lack of property supervision the location has become a destination where criminals gather and network,” the agenda states. “Calls for service range from battery with a deadly weapon, fights, gang activity, hand to hand drug deals, death investigations related to drug overdoses and drug trafficking. The frequent calls for service and the Royal Inn/ Frontier Motel management’s inability to control their tenants are straining the Sheriff's office response capabilities and reducing capacity of the Sheriff's office to provide services to the rest of our community.”
According to the agenda, the Frontier Motel has room doors that are unable to be secured due to structural damage. It also has multiple abandoned and unregistered vehicles parked throughout the property. The property frequently does not have onsite property managers, according to the report.
Deputies have come across rooms without beds and the occupants were sleeping on the floor. The Sheriff’s Office has also investigated care-takers of the property for crimes of domestic battery and drug sales, according to the agenda.
The Sheriff's office had opined that without an immediate intervention, the Royal Inn/ Frontier Motel’s management will continue to lack the motivation to improve their substandard business practices, noting the calls for service will continue to increase and public safety services will continue to be strained as a result.
In addition to the concerns raised by the Sheriff's Office, the City's Health Department has conducted periodic inspections on the premise as part of the motel task force, and observed evidence of bed bugs, mice and cockroaches in the motel units.
This is a developing story. We will update as more information becomes available.
