Colusa County Municipal Code Art. I In General

(Ord. No. 248, art. 1, § 1)

For the purposes of this chapter, except as otherwise provided in this chapter, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings respectively ascribed to them by this section:

Holidays.

Holidays are the first day of January, the twelfth day of February, the twenty-second day of February, the thirtieth day of May, the fourth day of July, the first Monday in September, the ninth day of September, the twelfth day of October, the eleventh day of November, Thanksgiving Day and the twenty-fifth day of December.

Loading zone.

The space adjacent to a curb reserved for the exclusive use of vehicles during the loading and unloading of passengers or materials.

Official traffic-control devices.

All signs, signals, markings and devices not inconsistent with this chapter placed or erected by authority of a public body or official having jurisdiction for the purpose of regulating, warning or guiding traffic.

Park.

To stand or leave standing any vehicle, whether occupied or not, otherwise than temporarily for the purpose and while actually engaged in loading or unloading of passengers or materials.

Passenger loading zone.

The space adjacent to a curb reserved for the exclusive use of vehicles during the loading or unloading of passengers.

Pedestrian.

Any person afoot.

Police officer.

Every officer of the county sheriff's office.

Stop.

When required, means complete cessation of movement.

Stop or stand.

When prohibited means any stopping or standing of vehicle, whether occupied or not, except when necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic, or in compliance with the directions of a police officer or official traffic-control device.

Traffic.

Pedestrians, ridden or herded animals, vehicles, street cars and other conveyances, either singly or together, while using any street for purpose of travel.

Vehicle.

Any device in or upon or by which any person or property is or may be transported upon a street or highway, except a device which is operated upon rails or trucks.

(Ord. No. 248, art. 2, § 1)

The road commissioner shall have the exclusive power and duty to place and maintain, or cause to be placed and maintained, official traffic-control devices when and as required under the provisions of this chapter and other traffic ordinances of this county, or by resolution by the board of supervisors, to make effective such provisions and ordinances.

(Ord. No. 248, art. 2, § 1)

Whenever the Vehicle Code of the state requires, for the effectiveness of any provision thereof, that traffic-control devices be installed to give notice to the public of the application of such law, the road commissioner is hereby authorized to install the necessary devices, subject to any limitations or restrictions set forth in the law applicable thereto.

(Ord. No. 248, art. 2, § 1)

The road commissioner may place and maintain such additional traffic-control devices that he may deem necessary to regulate traffic or to guide or warn traffic, but he shall make such determination only upon the basis of traffic engineering principles and traffic investigations and in accordance with such standards, limitations and rules as may be set forth in this chapter or other traffic ordinances of this county, or as may be determined by ordinance or resolution of the board of supervisors.

(Ord. No. 248, art. 2, § 2)

No provision of the Vehicle Code of the state or of this chapter, for which signs are required, shall be enforced against any alleged violator unless appropriate signs are in place and sufficiently legible to be seen by an ordinarily observant person, giving notice of such provisions of the traffic laws.

(Ord. No. 248, art. 2, § 3)

The road commissioner is hereby authorized to mark center lines and lane lines upon the surface of the roadways of the county to indicate the course to be traveled by vehicles and he may place signs temporarily designating lanes to be used by traffic moving in the particular direction, regardless of the centerline of the highway.

(Ord. No. 248, art. 4, § 1)

The road commissioner shall establish, designate and maintain crosswalks at intersections and other places by appropriate devices, marks or lines upon the surface of the roadway as follows:

(1) Cross walks shall be established and maintained at all intersections where the road commissioner determines that there is particular hazard to pedestrians crossing the roadways, subject to the limitations contained in subsection (2) of this section.

(2) Other than crosswalks at intersections, not more than one additional crosswalk shall be established in any one block, and such crosswalk shall be located as nearly as practicable at midblock.

(Ord. No. 248, art. 4, § 2)

No pedestrian shall cross a roadway at any place other than by a route at right angles to the curb, or by the shortest route to the opposite curb, except in a marked crosswalk.

(Ord. No. 248, art. 4, § 3)

No person shall stand in any roadway other than in a safety zone or in a crosswalk, if such action interferes with the lawful movement of traffic. This section shall not apply to any public officer or employee, or employee of the public utility when necessarily upon a street in the line of duty.

(Ord. No. 248, art. 5, § 2)

In the event of a fire or other emergency, officers of the sheriff's office, or such officers as assigned by the sheriff are hereby authorized to direct all traffic by voice, hand or signal as conditions may require, notwithstanding any of the provisions of the traffic laws.

Officers of any regularly organized fire department, when at the scene of a fire, may direct or assist the police in directing traffic thereat or in the immediate vicinity.

Any person who willfully fails or refuses to comply with any lawful order of an officer of the sheriff's office or a fire department official when directing traffic is guilty of a misdemeanor.

(Ord. No. 89, § 1)

It is unlawful for any person to willfully, carelessly or negligently run over or into any domestic animal with any kind of a vehicle run by motor power or horses, and it is likewise unlawful for any person who should run over any domestic animal with a vehicle propelled by motor power or horses to fail to stop and render or secure assistance to such animal so run over or hit by such vehicle, outside of any incorporated city or town within the county.

(Ord. No. 375, § 1 - 4)

(a) According to Chapter 7, Article 2, Section 22352(b)(2) of the State of California Vehicle Code, the prima facie speed limit of twenty-five miles per hour is applicable “when passing a school building or the grounds thereof, contiguous to a highway and posted with a ‘standard SCHOOL' warning sign, while children are going to or leaving such school during opening or closing hours or during the noon recess period. Such prima facie limit shall also apply when passing any schoolgrounds which are not separated from the highway by a fence, gate or other physical barrier while the grounds are in use by children and the highway is posted with a standard ‘SCHOOL' warning sign.”

(b) Pursuant to the above findings the board of supervisors does hereby determine and declare that this certain prima facie speed limit is applicable on Norman Road (Road No. 30) between State Highway 45 (Princeton Road) and Argo Street, and that traffic controls shall be installed and maintained between these limits including pavement markings, centerline striping, crosswalks and signs in accordance with current standards of the State of California Department of Transportation.

(c) The prima facie speed limits as are hereinabove set forth, determined and declared are hereby found most appropriate to facilitate the orderly movement of traffic and are reasonable and safe.

(d) The prima facie speed limits as hereinabove set forth shall go into effect and full force on and after the 14th day of October, 1976, and when appropriate signs and markings giving notice thereof are erected, installed or placed.

(Ord. No. 243, § 2; Ord. No. 286, (part); Ord. No. 324, (part); Ord. No. 789 § 1)

Pursuant to the finding of the board of supervisors, the board of supervisors does hereby determine and declare a prima facie speed limit of thirty-five miles per hour upon the following portions of certain county roads as follows:

(a) College City Road. That portion of Road No. 178 (College City Road), beginning at the intersection of College City Road with the Tule Road, and extending southerly through the town of College City to the intersection of College City Road with Spyers Road, a distance of one mile;

(b) Wescott Road. That portion of Road No. 103 (Wescott Road), beginning at the southerly boundary of the city of Colusa and extending southerly to an irrigation ditch crossing the road, a distance of one and seventy-five-hundredths miles;

(c) Hankins Road. That portion of Road No. 121 (Hankins Road) from Zumwalt Road westerly to a point halfway between George Road and Davis Road;

(d) Zumwalt Road. That portion of Road No. 18 (Zumwalt Road) from Crawford Road northerly to the city limits of Williams;

(e) Crawford Road. That portion of Road No. 116 (Crawford Road) from Zumwalt Road to Interstate Highway 5.

(Ord. No. 243, § 4)

The prima facie speed limit established pursuant to section 12-12 is fixed and determined pursuant to Sections 22357 and 22358 of the Vehicle Code of the state, and shall go into effect and be in force when appropriate signs giving the notice thereof are erected on the portions of the county roads as set forth in section 12-12.

(Ord. No. 352, §§ 1 - 4; Ord. No. 380, § 1; Ord. No. 386, § 1; Ord. No. 409, §§ 1-3; Ord. No. 413, § 1; Ord. No. 516, §§ 1, 2; Ord. No. 608, § 1; Ord. No. 630, § 1; Ord. No. 688, §§ 1, 2; Ord. No. 789 § 2)

(a) The board of supervisors of the county, upon the basis of an engineering and traffic survey, does hereby find and determine that the prima facie speed limit of fifty-five miles per hour is more than is reasonable or safe on portions of certain Colusa County roads as specifically set forth in this section.

(b) Pursuant to the above findings, the board of supervisors does hereby determine and declare those certain prima facie speed limits upon certain portions of certain county roads are, respectively, as follows:

(1) Thirty-five miles per hour on that portion of Butte Slough Road, County Road No. 6, from its intersection with River Road at the north end of the Sacramento River Bridge at Colusa, thence southeasterly to the Sutter County line, a distance of approximately 5.24 miles.

(2) Thirty-five miles per hour on that portion of 5th Street in Arbuckle from a point approximately 0.15 miles northerly of Gail Avenue, thence northerly 0.22 miles to a point just north of the intersection connected with the North Arbuckle interchange. This speed zone is an extension northerly of an already established thirty-five mile per hour zone in Arbuckle.

(3) Thirty miles per hour on 8th Street (southerly extension of 8th Street in the city of Colusa) from Colusa city limits on the north to Colusa city limits on the south a distance of 0.37 miles.

(4) Twenty-five miles per hour on 5th Street (southerly extension of 5th Street in the city of Colusa) from the city limits to the end, a distance of 0.57 miles.

(5) Twenty-five miles per hour on Thirteenth Street adjacent to the westerly city limits of the city of Colusa.

(6) Thirty miles per hour on that portion of Wescott Road, County Road No. 103 from a point approximately one hundred seventy feet south of Ashley Drive; northerly to the city limits of the city of Colusa, a distance of approximately 0.60 miles.

(7) Twenty-five miles per hour on that portion of Sites Lodoga Road No. 31, beginning at its intersection with Lodoga Stonyford Road No. 32, and running thence northerly and easterly a distance of one thousand eight hundred feet.

(8) Twenty-five miles per hour on that portion of Leesville Lodoga Road No. 33, beginning at its intersection with Lodoga Stonyford Road No. 32, and running thence southerly a distance of one thousand two hundred ten feet.

(9) Twenty-five miles per hour on that portion of Lodoga Stonyford Road No. 32, beginning at its intersection with Sites Lodoga Road No. 31, and running thence westerly a distance of one thousand five hundred twenty feet.

(10) Twenty-five miles per hour on those streets within the Almond Paradise Subdivision, town of Arbuckle, California, named as follows:

(A) Midway Avenue - County Road Number 240.

(B) Mission Avenue - County Road Number 241.

(C) Peerless Avenue - County Road Number 242.

(D) Salt Creek Drive - County Road Number 243.

(E) Harvey Court - County Road Number 244.

(F) Thompson Street - County Road Number 245.

The extent of the above listed roadways all as shown upon that plat of the Almond Paradise Subdivision, as filed in Book 1 of Subdivisions upon Page 20 on the 31st day of May, 1979 in the office of the clerk and recorder of Colusa County.

(11) Thirty-five miles per hour on that portion of Maxwell-Colusa Road No. 3, beginning at its intersection with East Avenue No. MW17, and running thence westerly to Old Highway 99W No. 216.

(12) Forty-five miles per hour on that portion of River Road No. 2, beginning at sixteen thousand one hundred fifty feet north of Laux Road, and running thence northerly to twenty thousand seven hundred feet north of Laux Road.

(13) Thirty-five miles per hour on that portion of Grimes-Arbuckle Road No. 4, beginning at its intersection with First Street, No. AR08, and running thence westerly to Old Highway 99W, No. 216.

(14) Thirty miles per hour on 14th Street in Cooper's Extension to Colusa, from Lurline Avenue to Wilson Avenue.

(15) Twenty-five miles per hour on that portion of Almond Avenue, Road No. 150, from Hall Street to Gail Avenue.

(16) Twenty-five miles per hour on that portion of Gail Avenue, Road No. 148, from Almond Avenue to Putnam Way.

(17) Twenty-five miles per hour on that portion of Hillgate Road, Road No. 12, from Wildwood Road to a point three thousand feet westerly of Wildwood Road.

(c) The prima facie speed limits as are set forth in subsection (b) of this section determined and declared are found most appropriate to facilitate the orderly movement of traffic and are reasonable and safe.

(d) The prima facie speed limits as set forth in subsection (b) of this section determined and declared and set pursuant to Section 22358 of the Vehicle Code of California and shall go into effect and be in full force and effect on and after the twenty-seventh day of June, 1974, and when appropriate signs giving notice thereof are erected upon those portions of such county roads as hereinabove set forth and described.

(Ord. No. 248, art. 6, § 1)

Any provision of this chapter which regulates traffic or delegates the regulation of traffic upon state highways in any way for which the approval of the department of public works is required by state law shall cease to be operative six months after receipt by the board of supervisors of written notice of withdrawal of approval of the department of public works.

(Ord. No. 248, art. 6, § 2)

Whenever this chapter delegates authority to a county officer, or authorizes action by the board of supervisors to regulate traffic upon a state highway in any way which by state law requires the prior approval of the department of public works, no such officer shall exercise such authority nor shall such action by the board of supervisors be effective with respect to any state highway without the prior approval in writing of the department of public works when and to the extent required by Division 9 and Division 11 of the Vehicle Code of the state.

(Ord. No. 248, art. 5, § 3)

When any lane marking, crosswalk, curb marking, stop sign or other traffic-control device is in place, as authorized by this chapter or by resolution of the board of supervisors or any other county ordinance, any person who operates any vehicle contrary to the directions and provisions thereof, or any pedestrian who conducts himself contrary to the directions and provisions thereof, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.