UPDATE: Plymouth Council Changes Hotel Registration Ordinance

After several discussions this year and hearing from local hotel owners and managers, the Plymouth City Council has made changes to its hotel registration ordinance.

The original ordinance uses current hotel/motel registration laws in the state statute. The changes includes language for having police enforce that law and adds a section that makes it a misdemeanor crime to falsely register at a hotel/motel in the city.

An amendment to the ordinance proposed in January included requiring all people staying in a hotel or motel room in the city to show their picture ID.

But this amendment failed to find support after Mayor Kelli Slavik made a motion for it at last night's meeting. She took back the motion after a lengthy discussion and hearing from local hotel and motel representatives who agreed that the amendment would be burdensome and could be bad for business.

"This was an issue brought to us by the police department," Slavik said. "They saw a problem and a way to solve it with a tool to keep our community safer. I was intrigued by it and I still think we need to try something."

She also said people were used to showing their ID for many other things like renting cars, boarding planes and more so it was hard for her to understand the inconvenience others thought it could be.

According to city reports, in late 2011, police staff discussed issues that were occurring at Plymouth hotels and ways to be proactive to reduce related crime.

Police reports in 2012 have shown numerous prostitution arrests at several hotels in Plymouth. Many of the cases are still being investigated.

A St. Paul woman accused of prostitution in Plymouth came from Plymouth police finding ads on Backpage.com that reportedly promoted prostitution in the metro.

Plymouth Police Chief Michael Goldstein said that Plymouth Captain Craig Lindman has visited all of the hotels in Plymouth to solicit feedback from managers.

Hotel and motel representatives spoke at the meeting about how the standard at most hotels is to get identification from guests when payments are made with cash, check or credit card already.

The council agreed to revisit the ordinance and look at further ways to address peddler and solicitor regulations for the city at future work session discussions.