Laguna Beach Municipal Code Ch. 10.07 Parking Meters

For the purpose of this chapter, certain words and terms shall be defined as follows:

"Off-street parking area"

means any area within the city which is not located upon a street, and which is either owned or leased by the city and devoted to the use for parking of vehicles where such parking is controlled, regulated and inspected with the aid of timing devices, meters, pay stations or other authorized payment systems, including digital or mobile payment platforms, herein referred to as "parking meters" or "meters";

"Roadway"

means that portion of a street between the regularly established curb lines;

"Sidewalk"

means that portion of a street between the curb lines and adjacent property lines;

"Street"

means every way set apart for public travel, except alleyways, bridle paths and footpaths;

"Vehicle"

means a device by which any person or property may be propelled, moved, or drawn upon a highway.

(Ord. 1081 § 1, 1985; Ord. 1706, 11/12/2024)

The provisions of this chapter and the sections thereof, insofar as the same pertain to parking on any state highway within this city, shall cease to be effective or operative for any purpose at the expiration of six months after receipt by the city of written notice of withdrawal of approval thereof by the California Department of Transportation.

(Ord. 1081 § 1, 1985)

(a) A person shall be required to deposit the proper fee for occupying a paid public parking space for which a parking meter is installed or payment is otherwise required at a charge set by resolution of the city council unless otherwise exempted by the Laguna Beach Municipal Code or state law.

(b) Unless otherwise exempted by the Laguna Beach Municipal Code or state law, no person shall park, stand, or stop any vehicle in any on-street or off-street paid parking zone during a period for which a parking time limit is applicable without depositing in the parking meter adjacent such lawful money of the United States, or the equivalent thereof, as required by the parking meter for the duration of time the vehicle occupies the space.

(c) For multi-space parking meters, upon proper payment, a receipt may be printed that must be conspicuously displayed on the vehicle dashboard indicating the length of time the vehicle is authorized to park in a space adjacent to the meter. Alternatively, the user may be required to enter the vehicle's license plate number at the time of payment.

(1) For purposes of this section, a "multi-space parking meter" means a device which records paid parking time, or accepts payment and dispenses a proof of payment ticket or otherwise authorizes payment without the need for a physical receipt or proof of payment for more than one parking space.

(2) Notwithstanding the above, if payment is made through a multi-space parking meter that authorizes parking without the need for a physical receipt or proof of payment, such as one that records the space number or vehicle license plate of the vehicle, no physical receipt is required to be displayed on the vehicle dashboard.

(d) Payments for paid public parking spaces for which a parking meter is installed or payment is otherwise required via an authorized digital or mobile payment platform or application will also be considered as satisfying the payment requirements of this section.

(Ord. 1706, 11/12/2024)

(a) On-street parking meter zones and the rate fees for use of the parking meters in said zones shall be established by resolution of the city council.

(b) Payment for on-street paid parking for which a parking meter is installed or payment is otherwise required shall not be required for a vehicle lawfully displaying a currently valid special license plates issued under the California Vehicle Code Section 5007 or a distinguishing placard issued under the Vehicle Code Sections 22511.55 or 22511.59 or as those sections may be amended.

(1) Notwithstanding the above:

(A) This exemption does not apply to vehicles displaying a stolen, surrendered, canceled, revoked, or expired special identification license plate or placard.

(B) Nothing in this section shall exempt such vehicles from the provisions of Section 10.06.090 (Obedience to Signs and Curb Markings), Section 10.06.110 (Maximum Parking Time On All Streets), Section 10.06.120 (Removal of Vehicles Left in Street), or Section 10.06.240 (Parking Restricted on Certain Streets on "Red Flag" Days) of the Laguna Beach Municipal Code.

(Ord. 1081 § 1, 1985; Ord. 1423 § 1, 2003; Ord. 1428 § 1, 2003; Ord. 1452 § 1, 2005; Ord. 1490 § 1, 2008; Ord. 1706, 11/12/2024)

(a) Off-street parking meter zones and the rate fees for use of the parking meters in said zones shall be established by resolution of the city council.

(b) Payment for off-street paid parking for which a parking meter is installed or payment is otherwise required shall not be required for a vehicle lawfully displaying a currently valid special license plates issued under the California Vehicle Code Section 5007 or a distinguishing placard issued under the Vehicle Code Sections 22511.55 or 22511.59 or as those sections may be amended. This exemption applies regardless of whether the eligible vehicle is parked within a space designated for exclusive use of those persons with disabilities.

(1) Notwithstanding the above:

(A) This exemption does not apply to vehicles displaying a stolen, surrendered, canceled, revoked, or expired special identification license plate or placard.

(B) Nothing in this section shall exempt such vehicles from the provisions of Section 10.06.090 (Obedience to Signs and Curb Markings), Section 10.06.210(a)(1) to (2) (Parking Regulations in Off-Street Parking Areas), or Section 10.06.240 (Parking Restricted on Certain Streets on "Red Flag" Days) of the Laguna Beach Municipal Code.

(Ord 1081 § 1, 1985; Ord. 1423 § 2, 2003; Ord. 1441, 2004; Ord. 1471, 2007; Ord. 1490 § 2, 2008; Ord. 1706, 11/12/2024)

Notwithstanding any other provisions of this chapter, any person may park a vehicle at specified parking spaces in the city of Laguna Beach without the necessity of depositing coins in the meters installed for such space, provided said vehicle bears a sticker issued by the city authorizing said vehicle to park in said space without the necessity of depositing such coins. Rules and regulations relating to the issuance and use of such stickers shall be adopted by resolution of the city council. Such rules and regulations when adopted shall make reference to this section and shall be deemed incorporated herein as if set forth herein at length.

(Ord. 1081 § 1, 1985; Ord. 1490 § 3, 2008)

Parking meters installed pursuant to this chapter shall be installed upon the curb immediately adjacent to the individual parking spaces hereinafter described. Parking meters may also be installed to serve multiple parking spaces with signs giving notice of the existence and locations of such parking meters.

(Ord. 1081 § 1, 1985; Ord. 1490 § 4, 2008)

Signs shall be maintained indicating the type of meter installed at the various areas within the city and the days and hours during which the parking meters are in operation. Such signs may either be on separate sign posts, painted on the curbs, or fastened onto the parking meters.

(Ord. 1081 § 1, 1985)

Lines or markings shall be painted upon the curb or pavement for each space regulated by a parking meter. Each vehicle parked within any parking meter zone shall be parked within such lines or markings.

(Ord. 1081 § 1, 1985; Ord. 1490 § 5, 2008)

It is unlawful to park any vehicle across any lines or markings or to park a vehicle in such a position that it shall not be entirely within the space designated by such lines or markings.

(Ord. 1081 § 1, 1985)

The city council, by resolution, shall establish and may from time to time modify and amend the requirements pertaining to time limit, types of meters, and the depositing of coins therein within the city.

(Ord. 1081 § 1, 1985)

It is unlawful for any person to cause, allow, permit or suffer any vehicle registered in his name, or operated or controlled by him, to be upon any street or off-street parking area in a space adjacent to which a parking meter is installed, for a longer period of time than the time limit indicated on such parking meter between the hours of any day, including Sundays and legal holidays, as established by resolution of the city council; provided, however, that the city council may from time to time, by resolution, regulate the hours and days during and upon which, parking meters shall be operated.

(Ord. 1081 § 1, 1985)

It is unlawful for any person to cause, allow, permit or suffer any vehicle registered in his or her name, or operated or controlled by him or her, to be upon any street or off-street parking area in a space for which a parking meter is installed at any time during which the meter is showing a signal or otherwise indicating that it is expired and that such space is illegally in use, between the hours of any day, including Sundays and legal holidays, as established by resolution of the city council; provided, however, that the city council may from time to time, by resolution regulate the hours and days during and upon which, parking meters shall be operated.

(Ord. 1081 § 1, 1985; Ord. 1490 § 6, 2008)

It is unlawful for any unauthorized person to open, for any person to deface, injure, tamper with, or wilfully break, destroy, impair the usefulness of, or tamper with any parking meter installed pursuant to this chapter. Such prohibited tampering shall include, but is not limited to, depositing or causing to be deposited any slug, device or metallic object as a substitute for a coin of the United States. A violation of this section shall be a misdemeanor.

(Ord. 1081 § 1, 1985)

It is unlawful to hitch any animal to a parking meter installed pursuant to this chapter.

(Ord. 1081 § 1, 1985)

It is the duty of the city manager or his/her designee, under the direction of the city council, to keep account of all violations of this chapter.

(Ord. 1081 § 1, 1985)

An account of and report the number of each parking meter which indicates that the vehicle occupying the parking space adjacent to such parking meter is or has been parked in violation of any of the provisions of this chapter, the date and hour of the violation, the make and the state license number of the vehicle, and any other facts a knowledge of which is necessary to a thorough understanding of the circumstances attending the violation shall be recorded.

(Ord. 1081 § 1, 1985)

A notice stating that it has been parked in violation of this chapter, and instructing the owner or operator to contact the Laguna Beach police department to post bail or arrange a date to contest such notice of violation before a judge or magistrate of the South Orange County municipal district, shall be attached to an illegally parked vehicle.

(Ord. 1081 § 1, 1985)

The judge may authorize as his deputy to accept the payments, hereinabove in this chapter mentioned, the city manager or his/her designee.

(Ord. 1081 § 1, 1985)

It shall be the duty of the city manager or his/her designee to make regular collections of the money deposited in the parking meters and to deliver the money to the director of finance, whose duty it shall be to receive all moneys deposited in and collected from parking meters and count the same and prepare the same for deposit with the city treasurer, and to keep an accurate account and record of all moneys so received, counted and deposited.

(Ord. 1081 § 1, 1985)

Each person making the collections from the parking meters, if not already adequately bonded, shall be bonded under the city's policy to insure faithful performance of his or her duties.

(Ord. 1081 § 1, 1985)

The city manager or his/her designee, is authorized to issue special permits to individuals or businesses to allow exclusive parking at specific meter(s) for limited periods of time without the required feeding of such meter(s). The fee for said special permit shall be established by resolution of the city council. Such meter(s) shall be distinguished by a conspicuous red bag, covering the meter head, and giving notice, as required by the California Vehicle Code, that unauthorized vehicles will be removed.

(Ord. 1112 § 3, 1986)