Compton Municipal Code § 12-8 Parking Meters

Editor's Note: Section 12-8 was amended in entirety by Ord. No. 2336. Prior history includes Ord. No. 1910.

[Amended 7-20-2021 by Ord. No. 2336]

As used in this section:

HOLIDAY

Shall mean the following days:

a.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Birthday;

b.

President's Day;

c.

Cesar Chavez's Birthday;

d.

Cinco de Mayo;

e.

Memorial Day;

f.

Independence Day;

g.

Labor Day;

h.

Veteran's Day;

i.

Thanksgiving Day;

j.

Christmas Day;

k.

New Year's Day;

l.

Any additional days adopted by the City Council as a City holiday.

MULTI-SPACE PARKING METER

Shall mean a device which records paid parking time, or accepts payment and dispenses a Proof of Payment Ticket for more than one parking space. If not located immediately adjacent to the parking space it regulates, a multi-space parking meter will be marked or labeled to identify the spaces it regulates. Multi-space parking meter is also known as a pay station or pay and display machine.

PARKING METER

Shall mean any device which, upon the deposit of payment, registers the time that a vehicle is parked in a parking meter space, or which generates proof of payment for parking in a parking meter space for a specified time period (i.e. minutes). Parking meters may include single-space meters, multi-space meters, payment centers and any other mechanical or electric device which regulates a parking meter space.

PARKING METER SPACE

Shall mean a parking space within a parking meter zone or public parking facility.

PARKING METER ZONES

Shall mean those streets, portions of streets or public parking facility established by ordinance as zones within which the parking of vehicles may be regulated, controlled and inspected with the aid of parking meters.

PAYMENT

Shall mean any lawful form of payment, including but not limited to U.S. currency, credit card, debit card, mobile payment, electronic payment or any other lawful payment accepted by the City for parking in a parking meter space.

PROOF OF PAYMENT TICKET

Shall mean a paper slip or ticket dispensed from a multi-space parking meter for the sole purpose of being displayed as proof of payment for the occupancy of a metered parking space. For the purposes of this section, "Proof of Payment Ticket" does not include a credit card receipt or debit card receipt.

PUBLIC PARKING FACILITY

Shall mean any parking lot, garage or structure owned, leased or operated by the City.

SINGLE-SPACE PARKING METER

Shall mean a device located adjacent to a metered parking space, which device records paid parking time or accepts payment for parking time for one parking space.

[Amended 7-20-2021 by Ord. No. 2336]

The City Council shall establish parking meter zones on any street, portion of street or public parking facility that is owned, leased or controlled by the City, as traffic and parking conditions require. Establishment of a parking meter zone shall be based upon safety, parking demand, relevant traffic engineering principles, traffic investigation and surveys made from time to time by the City Manager or his/her designee. The following on-street parking meter zones are hereby established:

a. Civic Center parking meter zone described as follows:

1. 100 through 200 blocks of West Myrrh Street (north and south sides of street);

2. 100 and 200 blocks of West Compton Boulevard (south side of street);

3. 100 through 400 blocks of South Willowbrook Avenue (west side of street);

4. 100 through 400 blocks of South Acacia Avenue (east and west side of street).

[Amended 7-20-2021 by Ord. No. 2336]

Upon installation of a parking meter zone by this section, the City Manager or his/her designee is authorized to install and maintain parking meters and to mark parking meter spaces in established parking meter zones to indicate where authorized parking is permitted.

Parking meters and parking meter spaces shall be installed as follows:

a. Each parking meter space shall be of sufficient size to permit the parking or standing of one vehicle.

b. Upon installation of a parking meter, the City Manager or his/her designee shall post signs, or place lines or marks on the curb, street or other area about or alongside of each parking meter to designate the parking space for which the meter is to be used. Said signs, lines or markings shall be painted or placed as to permit parking in the manner provided by the California Vehicle Code.

[Amended 7-20-2021 by Ord. No. 2336]

All parking meter rates heretofore established shall be and remain in effect, unless otherwise set or adjusted by the City Council. Under the authority of California Vehicle Code Section 22508, the City establishes a range of hourly parking meter rates of fifty cents ($0.50) per thirty-minute increment.

If the City is charged a convenience fee for accepting parking meter payments made via credit card, debit card, mobile payment or any other electronic commerce technology ("electronic payment"), the City may collect or authorize the third party providing such electronic payment service to collect the convenience fee from the person making the electronic payment. In addition to the convenience fee, there shall be a $1 minimum for electronic payments for a parking meter space. The convenience fee, if any shall be clearly and prominently disclosed to the person before making the electronic payment.

[Amended 7-20-2021 by Ord. No. 2336]

Parking meters shall operate as follows:

a. Measure, in minutes, the period of time during which the vehicle may park in a parking meter space without violating the provisions of this section or any other State or local laws regulating parking upon the street or other area on which the parking meter is established. Such a parking meter shall be constructed so that it will, upon the expiration of the period of time, commencing with the deposit and acceptance of payment, and ending with the expiration of the period of time that the parking or standing of a vehicle in the space is permitted, display a flag sign, alphanumeric display or other signal which will indicate that the permitted time for the parking of the vehicle has expired.

b. A Proof of Payment Ticket will be dispensed, typically from a multi-space parking meter as proof of payment for the occupancy of a parking space meter space. For purposes of this section, Proof of Payment Ticket does not include a debit or credit card receipt.

[Amended 7-20-2021 by Ord. No. 2336]

Parking meters shall be operated in parking meter zones every day between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., except Saturdays, Sundays and City holidays.

[Amended 7-20-2021 by Ord. No. 2336]

No person shall park, stand or stop any vehicle in any parking meter space, during a period for which a parking time limit is applicable without making payment for the use of such space as posted. If not located immediately adjacent to the parking space it regulates, the parking meter space will be marked or labeled to identify the space for which it accepts payment.

[Amended 7-20-2021 by Ord. No. 2336]

For purposes of this section, payment shall be evidenced in either of the following ways:

a. The parking meter which regulates the parking meter space displays one or more minutes of paid time; or

b. A Proof of Payment Ticket attached to the inside of the front side window of the vehicle on the side closest to the adjacent driving lane. For motorcycles, as attached to the headlight and readily visible from the adjacent driving lane; or

c. Payments for parking meter spaces via an authorized mobile application will also be considered as satisfying the payment requirements of this section.

[Amended 7-20-2021 by Ord. No. 2336]

It is unlawful for any person, as owner, operator or driver, to cause or permit any vehicle to be parked as follows:

a. No person shall park a vehicle in any parking space without making a payment for parking, except during such time immediately after the original occupancy as is necessary as to deposit payment into a parking meter and if purchasing a Proof of Payment Ticket at a multi- space parking meter, to return to the vehicle to display such ticket.

b. No person shall remain parked in any parking space beyond the maximum time limit posted or displayed on a parking meter for the parking meter space.

c. No person shall allow their vehicle to remain parked in a parking meter space when the parking meter or other forms of payment indicate that the time parking time has expired.

d. No person shall cause their vehicle to straddle any such marking or cause such vehicle to occupy more than one parking stall.

e. No person shall deposit any defaced or bent coin, slug, device, material or instrument as a substitute for lawful payment for parking in a parking meter space.

f. Except for an agent or employee of the City acting in the course of his or her agency or employment, no person shall deface, injure, tamper with, open, willfully break, destroy or impair the usefulness of any parking meter.

[Amended 7-20-2021 by Ord. No. 2336]

Under the authority of California Vehicle Code Section 22511.5, a disabled person or veteran is exempt from the application of Sections 12-8.4 and 12-8.6; provided that the person's vehicle displays a valid special license or a special placard issued under California Vehicle Code 5007, 22511.55 or 22511.59.

[Amended 7-20-2021 by Ord. No. 2336]

Where parking meters are installed in the City, if the parking meter is inoperable, the time limits posted on the parking meter shall be enforced during the hours of operation of parking meters.

[Amended 7-20-2021 by Ord. No. 2336]

The parking, stopping or standing of any vehicle in a parking meter space at which the parking meter displays a flag, signal or sign indicating that the permitted or paid time has expired, or the Proof of Payment Ticket is properly displayed and indicates that the paid time has expired, or the parking enforcement software utilized by enforcement officers indicates the paid time for the vehicle has expired, or the Proof of Payment Ticket has not been properly displayed, or the mobile application payment has been determined to have expired shall constitute a prima facie presumption that the vehicle has been parked in violation of this section.

[Amended 7-20-2021 by Ord. No. 2336]

Any person violating any provision of this section shall be punishable by a fine established by resolution or ordinance of the City Council. Any vehicle found in violation of this section may be cited or removed, or both cited and removed, by any City employee or official authorized to enforce the Municipal Code, in the manner and subject to the requirements of this section and California Vehicle Code Section 22651 and 22852.

[Amended 7-20-2021 by Ord. No. 2336]

All payments made to or deposited in any parking meter shall be collected regularly by a person designated by the City Manager or by one or more contractors selected and approved by the City in a manner consistent with applicable ordinances and regulations.

[Amended 7-20-2021 by Ord. No. 2336]

The payment required to be made by depositing payment into a parking meter as provided in this section are declared to be necessary to compensate the City for the expense incurred in furnishing facilities, equipment, supervision and regulation required by such parking and is found to be a reasonable fee for the privilege, voluntarily exercised by owners, operators, managers or drivers of vehicles, of parking the vehicles within the parking spaces, in conformity with the provisions of this section.