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HomeMy WebLinkAbout73-03 OrdinanceRECORD OF ORDINANCES Inc. Ordinance No, 73-03 Passed , 20 AN ORDINANCE AMENDING SECTION 76.02 OF THE DUBLIN CODIFIED ORDINANCES REGARDING THE HANDICAPPED PARHING PENALTY, AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY. WHEREAS, under Dublin Code Section 76.02(F), no person shall stop, stand, or park any motor vehicle at handicapped parking spaces, disability parking spaces, or at special clearly marked parking locations ("handicapped parking spaces") unless the driver or passenger is a handicapped or disabled person and is displaying a parking card or special handicapped license plates; and WHEREAS, under existing Dublin Code Section 76.02(K), whoever violates Section 76.02(F) pertaining to handicapped parking violation is guilty of a minor misdemeanor, which carries a maximum fine of one hundred dollars ($100); and WHEREAS, Ohio Revised Code Section 451199(P), which is in effect until January 1, 2004, provides that the penalty for parking in a handicapped parking space is a misdemeanor and the violator shall be fined not less than two hundred fifty dollars ($250), but in no case shall an offender be sentenced to any term of imprisonment; and WHEREAS, Ohio Revised Code Section 4511.69, which takes effect on January 1, 2004, also provides for an enhanced penalty for parking in a handicapped parking space, which is that the violator shall be fined not less than two hundred fifty dollars ($250) nor more than five hundred dollars ($500), but in no case shall an offender be sentenced to any term of imprisonment; and WHEREAS, Ohio Revised Code Section 4511.69, which takes effect on January 1, 2004, provides for the political subdivision to use the fine moneys it receives to pay the expenses it incurs in complying with the handicapped parking spaces signage and notice requirements and to use a portion of the fine it receives to pay the costs of educational, advocacy, support, and assistive technology programs for persons with disabilities, and for public improvements that benefit or assist persons with disabilities, if governmental agencies or nonprofit organizations offer the programs; and WHEREAS, the penalty, for parking in a handicapped parking space, under the Dublin Code, is not consistent with the minimum fine provided by the state law; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED by the Council of the City of Dublin, State of Ohio, 2 of the elected members concurring: Section 1. D ublin C odified O rdinances S ection 7 6.02 i s h ereby a mended f o r ead as follows: § 76.02 MANNER OF PARALLEL PARKING; HANDICAPPED PARKING. (A) Every vehicle stopped or parked upon a roadway where there is an adjacent curb shall be stopped or parked with the right-hand wheels of the vehicle parallel with and not more than 12 inches from the right-hand curb, unless it is impossible to approach so close to the curb; in such case the stop shall be made as close to the curb as possible and only for the time necessary to discharge and receive passengers or to load or unload merchandise. Local authorities may by ordinance permit angle parking on any roadway under their jurisdiction, except that angle parking shall not be permitted on a state route within a municipal corporation unless an unoccupied roadway width of not less than 25 feet is available for free moving traffic. RECORD OF ORDINANCES Blank, Inc. Ordinance No. 73-03 Passed Page 2 , 20 (B) Local authorities may by ordinance permit parking of vehicles with the left-hand wheels adjacent to and within 12 inches of the left-hand curb of a one- way roadway. (C) No vehicle shall be stopped or parked on a road or highway with the vehicle facing in a direction other than the direction of travel on that side of the road or highway. (D) Notwithstanding any statute or any rule, regulation, resolution, or ordinance, air compressors, tractors, trucks, and other e quipment, while being used in the construction, reconstruction, installation, repair, or removal of facilities near, on, over, or under a street or highway, may stop, stand, or park where necessary in order to perform such work, provided a flagman is on duty or warning signs or lights are displayed as may be prescribed by the director of transportation. (E) Special parking locations and privileges for persons with disabilities that limit or impair the ability to walk, also known as handicapped parking spaces or disability parking spaces, shall be provided and designated by all political subdivisions and by the state and all agencies and instrumentalities thereof at all offices and facilities where parking is provided, whether owned, rented, or leased, and at all publicly owned parking garages. The locations shall be designated through the posting of an elevated sign, whether permanently affixed or movable, imprinted with the international symbol of access and shall be reasonably close to exits, entrances, elevators, and ramps. If a new sign or a replacement sign designating a special parking location is posted on or after J~ 5, 2000 +''° °r~°^+~~~° a^+° ^~+'~~~ ^ °^`'w'°"+, there also shall be affixed upon the surface of that sign or affixed next to the designating sign a notice that states the fine applicable for the offense of parking a motor vehicle in the special designated parking location if the motor vehicle is not legally entitled to be parked in that location. All elevated signs posted in accordance with this division and R.C. § 3781.111(B) shall be mounted on a fixed or movable post, and the distance from the ground to the top edge of the sign shall measure five feet. (F) No person shall stop, stand, or park any motor vehicle at special parking locations provided under division (E) of this section, or at special clearly marked parking locations provided in or on privately-owned parking lots, parking garages, or other parking areas and designated in accordance with that division unless one of the following applies: (1) The motor vehicle is being operated by or for the transport of a person with a disability that limits or impairs the ability to walk and is displaying a valid removable windshield placard or special license plates; (2) The motor vehicle is being operated by or for the transport of a handicapped person and is displaying a parking card or special handicapped license plates. (G) When a motor vehicle is being operated by or for the transport of a person with a disability that limits or impairs the ability to walk and is displaying a removable windshield placard or temporary removable windshield placard or special license plates, or when a motor vehicle is being operated by or for the transport of a handicapped person, and is displaying a parking card or special handicapped license plates, the motor vehicle shall be permitted to park for a period of two hours in excess of the legal parking period normally permitted, except where the Dublin Code provides per~~tein RECORD OF ORDINANCES Blank, Inc. Ordinance No. 73-03 Passed Page 3 . 20 *~, •*• ~, ro ~^^~~ ,,,.a;,,^r~o~ ^r ~„I;^o ~ule~ ,:,rc:~ide otherwise or where the vehicle is parked in such a manner as to be clearly a traffic hazard. (H) No owner of an office, facility, or parking garage where special parking locations must be designated in accordance with division (E) of this section shall fail to properly mark the special parking locations as required by that division or fail to maintain the markings of the special locations, including the erection and maintenance of the fixed or movable signs. (I) Nothing in this section shall be constructed to require a person or organization to apply for a removable windshield placard or special license plates if the parking card or special license plates issued to the person or organization under prior law have not expired or been surrendered or revoked. (J) As used in this section: (1) HANDICAPPED PERSON means any person who has lost the use of one or both arms, who is blind, deaf, or so severely handicapped as to be unable to move without the aid of crutches or a wheelchair, or whose mobility is restricted by permanent cardiovascular, pulmonary, or other handicapping condition. (2) PERSON WITH A DISABILITY THAT LIMITS OR IMPAIRS THE ABILITY TO WALK has the same meaning as in R.C. § 4503.44. (3) SPECIAL LICENSE PLATES and REMOVABLE WINDSHIELD PLACARD mean any license plates or removable windshield placard or temporary removable windshield placard issued under R.C. §§ 4503.41 o r 4 503.44, a nd a lso m can a ny s ubstantially s imilar 1 icense p lates o r removable windshield placard or temporary removable windshield placard issued by a state, district, country, or sovereignty. (R.C. § 4511.69) ('80 Code, § 351.04) (Ord. 26-89, passed 3-27-89) (K) (1) Whoever v iolates d ivision (A) o r (C) , o f t his s ection i s guilty of a minor misdemeanor. ~D r ~ n c, , ~~«~~ (2) (a) Whoever violates division (F) of this section is guilt misdemeanor and shall be punished as provided in division (K)(2) of this section. Exc~t as otherwise provided in this section, an offender who violates division (F) of this section shall be fined not less than two hundred fifty nor more than five hundred dollars. An offender who violates division (F) of this section s hall b e f fined n of m ore t han o ne h undred d ollars i f t he offender, prior to sentencing, proves either of the followin tg o the satisfaction of the court: it At the time of the violation of division (Fl(11 of this section, the offender or the person for whose transport the motor vehicle was being operated had been issued a removable windshield placard that then was valid or ~ecial license plates that then were valid but the offender or the person neglected to display the placard or license plates as described in division (F~1) of this section. (ii) At the time of the violation of division (F)(2) of this section, the offender or the person for whose transport the motor vehicle was being operated had been issued a RECORD OF ORDINANCES Dayton Legal Blank, Inc. Form No. 30043 Ordinance No. 73-03 Passed Page 4 . 20 parking card t hat t hen was v alid o r s pedal h andicapped license plates that then were valid but the offender or the person neglected to display the card or license plates as described in division (F)(2) of this section. (b) In no case shall an offender who violates division (F) of this section be sentenced to any term of imprisonment. (L) If a person is charged with a violation of division (F) of this section, it is an affirmative defense to the charge that the person suffered an injury not more than 72 hours prior to the time the person was issued the ticket or citation and that, because of the injury, the person meets at least one of the criteria contained in R.C. § 4503.44(a)(1). (M) In addition to any other penalties provided under this section, any motor vehicle that is parked in a special marked parking location in violation of division (F) of this section maybe towed or otherwise removed from the parking location by the Dublin Police Department '^~~~ °r~^r^°~°„+ ^rt ~ ^f *li° ,•*• ^, ^„~.a;,,;~:,,., , .,~,;,.~, ~~,° ^,-v;n„ ~,,,.^~;,,r .^ ,,,,.^~°a. A motor vehicle that is so towed or removed shall not be released to its owner until the owner presents proof of ownership of the motor vehicle and pays all towing and storage fees normally imposed by the City of Dublin *'~^* ~^'~*~^^' °~~'~~'~~~~^~~~~ for towing and storing motor vehicles. If the motor vehicle is a leased vehicle, it shall not be released to the lessee until the lessee presents proof that that person is the lessee of the motor vehicle and pays all towing and storage fees normally imposed by that political subdivision for towing and storing motor vehicles. (N) An arrest or conviction for a violation of division (F) of this section does not constitute a criminal record and need not be reported by the person so arrested or convicted in response to any inquiries contained in any application for employment, license, or other right or privilege, or made in connection with the person's appearance as a witness. (O) Whoever violates division (H) of this section shall be punished as follows: (1) If the offender previously has not been convicted of or pleaded guilty to a violation of division (H) of this section or of a municipal ordinance that is substantially similar to that division, the offender shall be issued a warning; (2) If the offender previously has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to a violation of division (H) if this section or of a municipal ordinance that is substantially s imilar t o t hat d ivision, t he o ffender s hall b e f fined $ 25 f or e ach parking location that is not properly marked or whose markings are not properly maintained. (P) The clerk of the court shall pay every fine collected under division ~K)(21 of this section to the City of Dublin. Except as provided in division (K)(2) of this section the City of Dublin shall use the fine moneys it receives under division (K)(2) of this section to pay the expenses it incurs in complying with the signage and notice requirements contained in division (E) of this section. The City of Dublin may use up to fift~per cent of each fine it receives under division (K)(2) of this section topay the costs of educational, advocacy support and assistive technology programs for persons with disabilities, and for public improvements within the City of Dublin that benefit or assist persons with disabilities if governmental agencies or nonprofit organizations offer the programs. RECORD OF ORDINANCES Ordinance No. Dayton Leal Blank, Inc. Form No. 30043 73-03 Passed Page 5 .20 Section 2. This ordinance is hereby declared to be an emergency necessary for the immediate preservation of the public health, safety and welfare. The reason for such necessity is that the state law provides for a more stringent penalty then that required by the Dublin Code; and it has become necessary to have the Dublin Code reflect that penalty provided by the state law. Therefore, this ordinance shall go into immediate effect. Passed this ~!~ day of , 2003. 17~~ Attest: = Presiding Officer Clerk of Council I hereby certify that copies of this Ordinance/Resolution were posted in the City of Dublin in accordance with Section 731.25 of the Ohio Revised Code. 'L~ D ty Clerk of Council, Dub m, Ohio $CHOTTENSTEIN ZOX Sc ~UNN a legal professional association MEMORANDUM TO: Dublin City Council Jane Brautigam, City Manager Anne Clarke, Clerk of Council FROM: Stephen J. Smith, Law Director Stephen J. Smith, Jr. J. Corey Colombo DATE: July 2, 2003 RE: Ordinance 73-03 regarding Handicapped Parking Penalty Dublin Code §76.02 prohibits persons from parking a motor vehicle in a handicapped parking space unless the driver or passenger is a handicapped or disabled person and is displaying a parking card or special handicapped license plates. Dublin Code §76.02(K) states that whoever violates this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor, which carries a maximum fine of one hundred dollars ($100). However, the state law provides that the minimum penalty for parking in a handicapped parking space is an unclassified misdemeanor and the violator shall be fined not less than two hundred fifty dollars ($250). Accordingly, the Dublin Code is not consistent with the minimum fine provided by the state law. Ordinance 73-03 will make the Dublin Code consistent with the state law minimum fine. As noted in existing Dublin Code §76.02(E), new or replacement signs that are posted after July 5, 2000, which was the effective date of Dublin Ordinance 74-00, must also include a notice of the applicable fine on the surface of the sign or next to the sign. Consequently, if any signs erected after July 5, 2000 do not contain a notice of the fine amount, the relevant landowner will be given a warning on the first offense and then can be fined pursuant to Dublin Code §76.02(0) for each subsequent offense. Ordinance 73-03 will also add a section to the Dublin Code, which will correspond to the state law, pertaining to the use of the fine money collected from handicapped parking violations. This section will authorize Dublin to use the fine money to pay for the expenses it incurs in complying with the signage and notice requirements and to use a ~/ portion of the fine it receives to pay the costs of educational, advocacy, support, and www.SZD.com assistive technology programs for persons with disabilities, and for public improvements Columbus that benefit or assist persons with disabilities. Cleveland Cincinnati As always, please contact this office if you have any questions or wish to further discuss this matter. {H0337570.3 } The Huntington Center. 41 South Hieh Street, Suite 2600, Columbus, Ohio 43215-6106 .Voice 614/462-2700 . fax 614/462-5135