Ordinance 2395-99 - Laserfiche WebLink

• ORDINANCE NO. 2395-99 An Ordinance Amending the City's Parking Regulations by Increasing the Fines for Repeat Offenders, Making it Illegal to Move a Vehicle to Avoid Time Limits and Providing for the Impoundment of Vehicles with Unpaid Tickets, Amending Ordinance No. 2180-96 (Chapter 46.28 EMC) WHEREAS, the City Council finds that there are a number of problems that contribute to downtown parking concerns including employees of downtown businesses and public agencies parking on the street, individuals abusing their on-street parking privileges by constantly parking in excess of the permitted time limits and/or moving their vehicles to avoid the time limits; and WHEREAS, the City Council finds that parking on the public right-of-way is regulated to promote traffic safety, enhance the smooth flow of traffic and, in certain areas of high demand for parking such as the central business district, to fairly allocate parking spaces among the public by limiting parking time. Parking is also limited in business districts to facilitate commerce by promoting frequent turnover for shopping rather than commuter, employee or long-term parking. Although the majority of those receiving parking tickets respond appropriately, some vehicles are repeatedly ticketed for uncontested parking violations which are then not paid. Not only do such repeated violations defeat the purposes of the parking regulations, but they also deprive the City of significant revenue. The magnitude and intractability of this parking scofflaw problem in downtown has made it a local situation calling for a solution that will remove these vehicles from the public right-of-way to allow others to make lawful use of available parking spaces. Because a substantial number of parking violations are accrued by chronic offenders whose violations remain delinquent despite efforts by the City to collect fines, it is necessary to increase penalties and authorize impoundment of illegally parked vehicles with multiple outstanding delinquent tickets in order to effectively enforce the City's parking regulations. The problems identified above create concerns for the City and downtown businesses by preventing the natural turnover of parking spaces thereby limiting the availability of parking spaces for individuals wishing to use the businesses and services provided by the City's central business district; and WHEREAS, the City Council finds that increasing the fines for repeat offenders, making it illegal to move a vehicle to avoid time limits and impounding vehicles with unpaid