Chapter 15.24
PARKING METER ZONES
Sections:
15.24.020 Parking meter zones established.
15.24.050 Lines or markings on curb or street.
15.24.070 Payment of meter fees required – Vouchers.
15.24.090 Daily rental of meter spaces.
15.24.100 Coin substitutes unlawful.
15.24.110 Meter impairment, injury or destruction unlawful.
15.24.120 Citation for overparking.
15.24.130 Penalty for violation.
Editor’s note: The parking meter zone map and ordinances describing specific parking meter zones can be found on file in the office of the City Clerk.
15.24.010 Definitions.
A. Wherever any term is defined in this chapter it shall be deemed and construed to have the meaning ascribed to it in this section.
B. The definition of any term used in this chapter not otherwise defined herein shall be the same as such term is defined and described in the Vehicle Code of the State and amendments thereto.
C. When used in this chapter:
1. “Park” or “parking” means the standing of a vehicle, whether occupied or not, otherwise than temporarily, for the purpose of, and while actually engaged in, loading or unloading passengers or merchandise.
2. “Vehicle” means any device in, upon or by which any person or property may be transported upon a street or highway, except those operated upon rails or tracks.
3. “Meter” or “parking meter” means and refers to individual coin-operated parking meters and pay-per-space parking equipment pursuant to which centrally located stations are utilized to serve multiple numbered parking spaces by the electronic recordation and disbursement of receipts evidencing the parking space number and the amount of parking time purchased. [Ord. 1184A § 1(A), 2007; Ord. 392 § 1, 1946.]
15.24.020 Parking meter zones established.
Parking meter zones are fixed and established within the City, which zones are shown and delineated upon a certain plat, map or blueprint thereof, on file in the office of the City Clerk, to which map or plat special reference is hereby made and which is made a part of this chapter and annexed to this chapter for a detailed description of parking meter zones, portions of streets and parking meter spaces. [Ord. 392 § 2, 1946.]
15.24.030 Meter installation.
The City Engineer is authorized and directed to install meters in all parking meter zones established or created by the City Council for the purpose of and in such numbers and at such places as in his judgment may be necessary to the regulation, control and inspection of the parking of vehicles therein. [Ord. 392 § 3, 1946.]
15.24.040 Sign placement.
The City Engineer is authorized to cause signs which fulfill the requirements of the ordinances and resolutions of the City pertaining thereto to be placed in the various parts of such zones to so indicate. [Ord. 392 § 4, 1946.]
15.24.050 Lines or markings on curb or street.
The City Engineer shall have lines or markings painted or placed upon the curb or street adjacent to each parking meter designating the parking space for which the meter is to be used, and each vehicle parked adjacent or next to any parking meter shall park within the lines or markings so established. It is unlawful to park any vehicles across any such line or marking or to park a vehicle in such a position that the same shall not be entirely within the space designated by such lines or markings. [Ord. 392 § 5, 1946.]
15.24.060 Meter adjustment.
Parking meters, when installed, shall be so adjusted to show legal parking for such periods of time and upon deposit of such sums of money as may be established by resolution adopted from time to time by the City Council. [Ord. 868 § 2, 1975; Ord. 846 § 1, 1974; Ord. 778 § 2, 1971; Ord. 736 § 1, 1969; Ord. 624 § 1, 1963; Ord. 392 § 7, 1946.]
15.24.070 Payment of meter fees required – Vouchers.
When any vehicle is parked in any space alongside of or next to which a parking meter is located, in accordance with the provisions of this chapter, the operator of the vehicle upon so parking shall, and it is unlawful to fail to, deposit immediately appropriate coin or currency of the United States in such parking meter, or display an appropriate and authorized voucher issued by the City in or on such vehicle.
When any vehicle is parked in a parking meter zone utilizing pay per space equipment the operator of the vehicle shall enter the appropriate parking space number and deposit the requisite payment in the centrally located pay station; it is unlawful for the operator of the vehicle so parked to fail to do so and/or to allow the vehicle to remain parked following the expiration of the purchased time; the citation and penalty provisions of SMC 15.24.120 and 15.24.130 shall apply to any vehicle parked in a space beyond the time paid for. [Ord. 1184A § 1(B), 2007; Ord. 1094 § 3, 1993; Ord. 392 § 8, 1946.]
15.24.080 Purpose and use of meter fees.
Repealed by Ord. 1184A. [Ord. 392 § 13, 1946.]
15.24.090 Daily rental of meter spaces.
A. For purposes of construction, remodeling, moving or similarly infrequent activities, an undesignated parking meter space or spaces in the general vicinity of such activity may be rented for a designated vehicle or vehicles, or a debris box, on a daily basis at the discretion of the City Manager or his duly designated representative. Renting such a space does not reserve any particular space in the vicinity. Ability to utilize the rental privilege is on an “as available” basis when the renter attempts to find a metered space in the vicinity of the activity. The City shall provide a parking meter bag for each meter space rented, and the renter shall place such bag over the parking meter head of each space when the space is occupied by a designated vehicle or a debris box.
B. The rate for such rental shall be a flat amount per day per space or portion thereof calculated as follows:
Hourly meter rate x Number of hours of controlled parking = Daily rental rate
The renter shall pay in advance for the number of anticipated days of use. At the time of payment, the renter shall make a refundable parking meter bag deposit as collateral to ensure return of the bag and payment of any fees due to the City.
The parking meter bag deposit shall be three times the daily rental rate or no less than $10.00, whichever is higher. Upon completion of the activity, the renter shall return the parking meter bag to the City. At that time, the renter shall receive a refund of the bag deposit and of rent for days paid in advance but not used, or pay any additional rent due. Failure to return such parking meter bag within 30 days following the last day of rented use shall result in forfeiture of the parking meter bag deposit.
C. Failure to return the parking meter bag, failure to pay daily rent for use of any bagged meter space, occupancy of a bagged space by more than one vehicle or debris box, or parking an undesignated vehicle in a bagged space shall constitute an infraction punishable by a fine not to exceed $100.00. [Ord. 879 § 1, 1975; Ord. 860 §§ 1 – 3, 1975.]
15.24.100 Coin substitutes unlawful.
It is unlawful to deposit or cause to be deposited in any parking meter any slug, device or metallic substitute for one cent or five cent coins of the United States. [Ord. 392 § 9, 1946.]
15.24.110 Meter impairment, injury or destruction unlawful.
It is unlawful for any person to deface, injure, tamper with, open, or wilfully break, destroy, or impair the usefulness of any parking meter installed pursuant to this chapter. [Ord. 392 § 10, 1946.]
15.24.120 Citation for overparking.
A. It shall be the duty of each police officer to take the number of any meter at which any vehicle is overparked, as provided in this chapter; the State vehicle license of such vehicle; the time and date of such overparking; and the make of such vehicle; and issue, in writing, and attach to such vehicle a citation for illegal parking in the same form and subject to the same procedure provided for by the laws of the State applicable to the traffic violations within the City.
B. Any operator or owner of a vehicle to whom a citation for overparking has been issued may, within 24 hours of the time of the issuance of the citation, remit or pay to the Municipal Court, Court House, San Rafael, California, as a penalty for and in full satisfaction of such violation, the sum of $2.00. The failure of such owner or operator to make such payment within such period of 24 hours shall render the operator subject to the penalties provided in SMC 15.24.130 for violation of the provisions of this chapter. [Ord. 597 § 1, 1961; Ord. 392 § 11, 1946.]
15.24.130 Penalty for violation.
Any person violating any provision of this chapter shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof shall be punishable by a fine not exceeding $500.00, or by imprisonment in the County Jail for a period not exceeding six months, or by both such fine and imprisonment. [Ord. 392 § 12, 1946.]