Cathedral City Municipal Code Ch. 11.24 Parades

The short title of this chapter shall be the "parade ordinance."

(Ord. 15 § 1, 1982)

Parades and public events of a similar nature give rise to a festive atmosphere, uplift the public spirit and act as boosters for charitable drives and philanthropic programs. However, attendant with these public benefits are problems of traffic and pedestrian control. Therefore, in order to facilitate the movement of traffic, fire trucks, ambulances and other emergency vehicles and to preserve the peace, health, safety and welfare of the people, it is necessary to enact this chapter regulating parades.

(Ord. 15 § 1, 1982)

Congested traffic areas.

As used in this chapter, "congested traffic areas" include Highway 111, Ramon Road, Cathedral Canyon Drive and Date Palm Drive, since these streets at the present time are the main arterial streets leading into and out of the city and present the gravest traffic congestion problems.

Parade.

As used in this chapter, "parade" means and includes any march, procession or assembly consisting of persons, animals or vehicles, or a combination thereof, upon any public street, sidewalk, alley or other public right-of-way, which does not comply with normal and usual traffic regulations or controls.

(Ord. 15 § 1, 1982)

A. No person shall conduct or manage any parade without a written permit. Such a permit shall be issued by the city manager after report by the chief of police. The city manager may refuse a permit for a parade when the primary function thereof is to publicize or advertise a person, business organization or event unless the event serves a public purpose and the overall good of the community. Permits shall not be issued if the parade would require extraordinary police service or endanger public safety. The criteria to be considered in the denial of a permit on the grounds of the endangering of public safety are the route of the parade, the total period of elapsed time for the event, the proximity in time and area of other similar events, the nature and purpose of the parade, the special traffic problems such an event would engender, the ability of the police department to control the event, the number of persons, animals or units involved and any health, moral or safety hazards that might threaten the community as a result of the activity.

B. In each permit the duration of the parade shall be limited to a total of approximately two hours, exclusive of assembly time, commencing at or around ten a.m. and concluding at or around twelve noon. In the months of June, July and August only, parades may be allowed from eight p.m. to ten p.m. The city manager may make minor changes in the duration and time periods of such events where reasonable grounds therefor are presented.

C. The permit shall include the maximum speed of the vehicles, animals or units; the maximum interval of space to be maintained between the units of the parade; the maximum total length of the parade in miles or fractions thereof; the assembly and disassembly points and plans for these processes. The plan may be included on a sketch or map attached to the permit.

(Ord. 15 § 1, 1982)

As conditions attached to the granting, use and effectiveness of any parade permit, the city manager may impose reasonable requirements concerning the time and place of the parade; the area and manner of assembling and disbanding the parade; the maximum length thereof; the maximum and minimum speed thereof; the stops permitted, if any; the accommodation of other traffic; the number and types of vehicles, if any; and such other requirements as are found by the city manager to be reasonably necessary for the protection of persons or property and control of other traffic and to assure that the parade will be conducted in conformance with the purposes, objectives and requirements set forth in this chapter and in compliance with all other applicable laws, rules and regulations, and in a manner not unduly detrimental to the public interest. When it is practical to do so, the city manager shall give reasonable consideration to the formulation of permit conditions which will enable the making of findings prerequisite to permit issuance (per Section 11.24.080 and any other applicable provisions in this chapter).

(Ord. 15 § 1, 1982)

A. Each parade permit shall contain a condition for prepayment of a parade fee to the city in an amount reasonably estimated by the city manager to be sufficient to cover any extraordinary costs and expenses to the city which will be occasioned by the parade for (but not limited to) such necessary public services as police department added costs of policing, crowd control and traffic and parking control, placement and removal of barricades and signs for parade routes and parking control, and for cleanup of streets and sidewalks at the conclusion of the parade.

B. Unless specially waived by the city council, the city manager shall require, as a condition to issuance of a parade permit, that the organization or party staging or sponsoring the parade file evidence of insurance (or self-insurance) coverage for public liability and property damage which might result from the conduct of the parade. The coverage shall be in an amount reasonably found by the city manager (in consultation with the city's risk manager and city attorney) to be adequate in view of the particular parade activity contemplated. The city manager further shall have the discretion to require that the city be named as an additional insured in the coverage.

(Ord. 15 § 1, 1982)

A. Any person or organization desiring to conduct or manage a parade within a congested traffic area as defined in this chapter shall make application therefor not less than thirty days nor more than one hundred eighty days before the date on which it is proposed to conduct such a parade.

B. Any person desiring to conduct or manage a parade in any area of the city falling outside of the congested traffic area as defined in Section 11.24.030 shall make an application therefor not less than twenty-one days or more than one hundred eighty days before the date on which it is proposed to conduct such a parade.

C. The application for the permit shall include information as to the sponsoring organization; the approximate number of vehicles, animals or other units to be in the parade; the nature of items of equipment or persons to be utilized to produce music, sound or noise during the parade; the name of the marshal or person in charge of the parade while it is being conducted; the proposed assembly area, the route, duration, speed and dispersal area of the parade; the proposed alternate routes or times, if any; the nature and purpose of the parade, and any other similar information required by the city manager at the time the application is filed. The city manager shall not accept the application unless all of the required information is contained thereon, and unless the application is accompanied by payment of any application processing fee as may have been established by resolution of the city council.

(Ord. 15 § 1, 1982)

Upon receipt of an application for a parade permit, the city manager shall forthwith refer it to the chief of police who shall investigate the facts, plan and program as set forth in the application. Within fourteen days after receiving the application, the chief of police shall make a recommendation to the city manager relative to issuing or denying the parade permit. The city manager shall, upon receipt of the recommendation from the chief of police, act thereon as soon as reasonably practicable.

(Ord. 15 § 1, 1982)

If the city manager finds that the parade is to be conducted wholly outside of the congested traffic areas, he shall issue the permit unless there is substantial reason for the prohibition of the parade on grounds set forth in this chapter.

(Ord. 15 § 1, 1982)

The city manager shall issue the permit upon the following findings:

A. The parade will not unduly interrupt the safety and orderly movement of other traffic along and across its route for an unreasonable period of time;

B. The conduct of the parade is not reasonably anticipated to require the diversion of so great a number of police officers of the city as would be needed to police the line of movement in the area contiguous thereto, that the result would be to deny and prevent adequate police protection to the remainder of the city;

C. The conduct of the parade would not unduly interfere with ambulance or fire department service;

D. The conduct of the parade is not unreasonably likely to cause injury to any person or property;

E. The parade can be moved from its point of origin to its point of termination expeditiously;

F. The parade will serve a recognizable public purpose, at least as to a substantial segment of the citizenry;

G. Where the parade is to traverse a stretch of the state highway, when no objection thereto is filed by the State Division of Highways.

(Ord. 15 § 1, 1982)

A. Any person aggrieved by any decision of the city manager with respect to denial or issuance of any permit, conditions attached thereto, or any other administrative action taken pursuant to the terms of this chapter, may appeal to the city council by filing a written notice of appeal with the city clerk specifying the grounds of appeal. Unless an adjustment of the matter is then made by the city manager satisfactory to the appellant, the city clerk shall thereupon fix an early time and place of hearing on the appeal. Notice thereof shall be given the appellant and other persons who, in the city clerk's opinion, appear to be interested persons of record, of the time and place of hearing, by serving such notice personally or by depositing it in the United States mail addressed to all such persons at their last known addresses, respectively. The city council shall, after hearing, have authority to determine all questions raised on the appeal and to take any action consistent with the terms of this chapter or which could legally have been taken by the city manager in the matter.

B. If a permit for a parade is denied on the basis, in whole or in part, of the date, hour or route of travel, the applicant may submit a new request proposing alternate dates, hours or routes of travel.

C. The council may also directly consider any application for permit to conduct a parade which is not filed within the time limits prescribed in this chapter if placed upon the council agenda by a councilmember. In such case, the criteria set forth in this chapter shall apply.

(Ord. 15 § 1, 1982)

Immediately upon the granting of a parade permit, the city manager shall send a copy thereof to the chief of police, chief of the fire department, and to any other person having particular interest in the parade.

(Ord. 15 § 1, 1982)

No person shall, without the consent of the permittee, join or participate in a parade, nor in any manner interfere with its orderly conduct.

(Ord. 15 § 1, 1982)

No person shall participate as a member of a group conducting a parade for which no permit has been issued pursuant to this chapter, when the person has knowledge of the lack of the permit, or after he has been personally notified to this effect.

(Ord. 15 § 1, 1982)