Fresno Municipal Code Art. 1 General Provisions

No person owning or having in his possession or under his control any water pipe or drain shall permit the water therefrom to run across any sidewalk or public street so as to injure the same or obstruct the free travel thereon. (Orig. Ord. 1076).

No person shall throw or deposit, or permit to be thrown or deposited any dirt, paper, filth, sweepings of any store, house, shop or office, or any ashes, shavings, filth water, offal, straw, wood, stones, earth, manure, refuse matter or rubbish of any kind whatsoever, into any street or public place. No person or persons having control of premises from which any of the aforesaid articles shall be or may have been thrown or deposited in any street, or public place shall fail to remove the same therefrom within four hours after receiving knowledge thereof. (Orig. Ord. 1076).

No person shall throw, deposit or place in or upon any street, any nails, tacks, crockery, scrap iron, tin, wire, bottles, glass, thorns or thorny clippings, or thorny branches of trees or bushes, or any other article or thing likely to puncture or injure the tire of any vehicle. (Orig. Ord. 1076).

No person shall throw upon any street, or upon any person on any street, any flour, lime, bran, plaster, chalk, cut up paper, paper ribbon, confetti, or other similar substance. (Orig. Ord. 1076).

No person shall place or maintain in a public street any lumber, wood, timber, or other article or thing likely to puncture or injure the tire of any vehicle, likely to interfere with street sweeping or cleaning operations, or which hinders or stops the flow of water on or along the street. (Added Ord. 6389, 1964).

No person shall sweep any sidewalk, stairway, or other opening leading to the street or sidewalk within the business section of the city after the hour of 8:00 o'clock A.M. (Orig. Ord. 1076, Sec. 314).

Operators of railways within the city limits shall provide and maintain crossing protection as directed by the Public Utilities Commission of the State of California. (Orig. Ord. 1076; Am. Ord. 5311, 1958; Am. Ord. 5395, 1958).

No person shall paint or stain any street, gutter, curb, sidewalk, street furniture or street appurtenances, except, the following:

(1) Any person, properly authorized by the state as to a state highway,

(2) Authorized city personnel and,

(3) Any person authorized by virtue of a resolution of the Council or other provision of this Code; provided, that this section shall not apply to colored materials forming part of the improvement which are installed in or added to the street as a part of the repair or construction thereof and which have been approved by the Council or a duly authorized officer of the city. (Added Ord. 6811, 1966).

No person shall stand or sit in or upon any street so as in any manner to hinder or obstruct the passage therein of persons passing along the same, or so as in any manner to annoy or molest persons passing along the same, or stand in or at the entrance of any church, hall, theatre, or place of public assemblage so as in any manner to obstruct such entrance. (Added Ord. 67-138, 1968).

(a) The Council finds and declares all of the following:

(1) It is in the interest of the City of Fresno to restrict vehicular and pedestrian access to alleys when closure of alleys furthers the protection and preservation of the public peace, safety, health, and welfare.

(2) The City of Fresno is experiencing the illegal dumping of items such as trash, solid waste, and discarded tires in alleys.

(3) That illegal conduct in the form of prostitution, drug transactions and similar conduct is being conducted in alleys.

(4) That illegal dumping, prostitution and drug transactions are becoming routine activities within alleys.

(5) The adoption of rules and regulations that the Council seeks to enact in this Section are for the preservation and furtherance of the public peace, safety, health and welfare.

(b) The Director of Public Works, under the supervision and direction of the Chief Administrative Officer or his/her designee, shall be the officer in charge of the function of closing alleys in accordance with this Section and shall prepare rules and regulations defining the procedures and requirements for closing alleys. Whenever a request is made to the Director of Public Works to close an alley, the Director shall determine that the closure of the alley is consistent with the findings, rules and regulations defined within this Section.

(c) The Director of Public Works shall review requests made to close an alley, when at least seventy-five percent (75%) of all adjacent property owners have consented to the closure.

(d) No alley subject to this Ordinance shall be closed for vehicular or pedestrian traffic until appropriate signs giving notice of the restriction are posted at every entrance to the alley.

(e) Any alley closed pursuant to this Section shall continue to provide access to utility vehicles or pedestrian traffic in order that the utility may maintain, operate, replace, remove or renew existing and functioning utility facilities.

(f) The alley closure shall be done in a manner to allow a delivery of freight by commercial vehicles and shall not adversely affect the operation of emergency vehicles or the performance of municipal services.

(g) This Ordinance shall not authorize the restriction of access of certain members of the public to the alley, while permitting others unrestrictive access to the alley.

(h) Any restriction of vehicular or pedestrian traffic authorized pursuant to this Section shall remain in effect for such period of time as specified or determined by the Directory of Public Works.

(Added Ord. 2003-90, § 1, eff. 11-24-03; Am. Ord. 2024-037, § 1, eff. 12-5-24).