La Palma Municipal Code Art. I In General

The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this chapter, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:

Excavation means any operation in which earth, rock, or other material in the ground is moved, removed, or otherwise displaced by means of tools, equipment, or explosives in any of the following ways: boring, grading, trenching, digging, ditching, drilling, augering, tunneling, scraping, cable or pipe plowing and driving, or any other way.

Public agency means the United States or any department or agency thereof, the State or any department or agency thereof, the County, municipal corporation, or public district.

(Code 1975, § 22-1; Ord. No. 19, § 1)

(a) No person shall place, deposit or dump, or cause to be placed, deposited or dumped any paper, cans, bottles, ash tray accumulations, refuse, trash, or rubbish in, upon or along any public or private street, drainage ditch, parkway or public property within the City except in front of or adjacent to property owned or occupied by him or her, and then only when such things are contained in a substantial box, carton, or container for the purpose of having the same collected by rubbish collectors.

(b) No person shall sweep, push, propel, or deposit, or cause to be swept, pushed, propelled, or deposited in any gutter or street in the City the accumulation of paper, metal foil, trash, or rubbish that accumulates upon public or private sidewalks or parkways.

(Code 1975, § 22-2; Ord. No. 88, § 1, 2)

It shall be and is hereby declared unlawful for any person to run, or to allow irrigation or wastewater of any type to run or flow upon any public highway or right-of-way thereof within the City.

(Code 1975, § 22-3; Ord. No. 38, § 1)

It shall be unlawful for any person to deposit, drain, wash, allow to run, or divert into or upon any public road, highway, street, or alley, drainage ditch, storm drain, or flood control channel owned or controlled by any public agency within the City, any water, mud, sand, oil, or petroleum.

(Code 1975, § 22-4; Ord. No. 19, § 1)

There are within the rights-of-way for all residential streets in the City the following defined areas:

(1) Traveled way: That portion of the right-of-way located between the curb faces.

(2) Sidewalk area: That portion of the right-of-way designed and improved for pedestrian use from the curb face to a distance of five feet away from the traveled way.

(Code 1975, § 22-5; Ord. No. 135, § 1; Ord. No. 158, § 1)

The traveled way shall be used only for vehicular and pedestrian use as authorized by law.

(Code 1975, § 22-6; Ord. No. 87-02, § 7; Ord. No. 135, § 2)

The sidewalk area shall be used only for pedestrian walkway, utility or other uses authorized by the City.

(Code 1975, § 22-7; Ord. No. 135, § 3)

The owners of lots or portions of lots fronting upon any portion of a public sidewalk shall maintain the landscaping on their property in such a manner as will not obstruct, damage, or otherwise interfere with the public convenience and use of public sidewalks. Upon the request of the Community Services Director, the owners shall trim or prune their landscaping so as to eliminate any obstructions of the public sidewalk, and repair any damage to the public sidewalk which may have occurred as a result of landscaping improvements upon the owner's property. In the event the owner fails to undertake such trimming or pruning or repair, the Community Services Director shall initiate proceedings pursuant to the provisions of Streets and Highways Code § 5000 et seq. to cause the removal of the obstructions or repair of the sidewalk to be undertaken at the expense of the owner, or, in the alternative, the Community Services Director may initiate proceedings under chapter 26 of the La Palma City Code for the abatement of the condition existing on the owner's property and repair of the sidewalk as a public nuisance.

(Code 1975, § 22-8; Ord. No. 135, § 6; Ord. No. 158, § 4; Ord. No. 85-20, § 1)

No person shall print, illuminate, or in any way affix the numbers of a property address to the curb in front of the property without first obtaining a permit from the Community Services Department. Permits shall be issued only to local nonprofit community groups and the Community Services Director shall determine if a permit applicant constitutes a local nonprofit community group. The permittee shall comply with all the requirements of the permit.

(Code 1975, § 22-8.1; Ord. No. 88-01, § 3)