Chapter 10.12 — AUTHORITY OF POLICE

State Law reference— Municipalities authorized to regulate traffic by using police officers, Vehicle Code § 21100.

It shall be the duty of the police department to enforce the provisions of this title. Officers of the police department are authorized to direct all traffic, either in person or by means of visible or audible signals, and it is unlawful for any person to refuse or fail to comply with any lawful order, signal or direction of a police or traffic officer.

(Code 1972, § 10.12.010; Ord. No. 595, § 1, 1984; Ord. No. 137, § 2, 1947)

(a)

The city engineer of the city is designated as the traffic engineer and he/she shall exercise the powers and duties provided in this title and any other applicable ordinance or resolution of the city. The city council may designate other person or persons as traffic engineer by resolution.

(b)

It shall be the general duty of the traffic engineer to determine the installation and proper timing and maintenance of traffic-control devices and signals, to conduct engineering analyses of traffic accidents and to devise remedial measures, to conduct engineering investigation of traffic conditions, and to cooperate with other city officials in the improvement of traffic conditions.

(Code 1972, § 10.12.020; Ord. No. 583, § 1(part), 1983; Ord. No. 1333, § 1, 10-25-2016)

(a)

The city traffic engineer shall have the power and duty to place and maintain or cause to be placed and maintained official traffic-control devices when and as required to make effective the provisions of this title.

(b)

Whenever the vehicle code 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 city traffic engineer is authorized to install or cause to be installed the necessary devices subject to any limitations or restrictions set forth in the law applicable thereto.

(c)

The city traffic engineer may also place and maintain such additional traffic-control devices as he may deem necessary or proper 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 title or as may be determined by ordinance or resolution of the city council.

(Code 1972, § 10.12.030; Ord. No. 583, § 1(part), 1983)

(a)

The city traffic engineer is authorized to place markers, buttons, or signs within or adjacent to intersections indicating the course to be traveled as so indicated may conform to or be other than as prescribed by law or ordinance.

(b)

When authorized markers, buttons, or other indications are placed within an intersection indicating the course to be traveled by vehicles turning thereat, no driver of a vehicle shall disobey the directions of such indications.

(Code 1972, § 10.12.040; Ord. No. 583, § 1(part), 1983)

The city traffic engineer is authorized to determine those intersections at which drivers of vehicles shall not make a right, left or U-turn, and shall place proper signs at such intersections. The making of such turns may be prohibited between certain hours of any day and permitted at other hours, in which event the same shall be plainly indicated on the signs or they may be removed when such turns are permitted.

(Code 1972, § 10.12.050; Ord. No. 583, § 1(part), 1983)

The city traffic engineer is authorized to mark centerlines and lane lines upon the surface of the roadway to indicate the course to be traveled by vehicles and may place signs temporarily designating lanes to be used by traffic moving in a particular direction, regardless of the centerline of the highway.

(Code 1972, § 10.12.060; Ord. No. 583, § 1(part), 1983)

The city traffic engineer is authorized to place and maintain distinctive roadway markings as described in the vehicle code on those streets or parts of streets where the volume of traffic or the vertical or other curvature of the roadway renders it hazardous to drive on the left of such marking or signs and markings. Such marking or signs and marking shall have the same effect as similar markings placed by the state department of public works pursuant to provisions of the vehicle code.

(Code 1972, § 10.12.070; Ord. No. 583, § 1(part), 1983)

The city traffic engineer is authorized to remove, relocate or discontinue the operation of any traffic-control device not specifically required by the vehicle code or this title whenever he determines in any particular case that the conditions which warranted or required the installation no longer exist.

(Code 1972, § 10.12.080; Ord. No. 583, § 1(part), 1983)

The city traffic engineer shall determine the hours and days during which any traffic-control device shall be in operation or be in effect, except in those cases where such hours or days are specified in this title.

(Code 1972, § 10.12.090; Ord. No. 583, § 1(part), 1983)

(a)

No street shall be closed or partially obstructed, or detours established, without approval of the city traffic engineer.

(b)

Barriers and signs shall be erected as directed by the city traffic engineer.

(c)

In case of emergency, a public utility or department of the city shall be exempt from the provisions of this section.

(Code 1972, § 10.12.100; Ord. No. 583, § 1(part), 1983)

(a)

No person or business, unless authorized by the traffic engineer, shall paint any street or curb surface, including painting of house numbers. A business license is also required for all for-profit and not-for-profit businesses and service providers of street or curb surface painting, including painting of house numbers.

(b)

Street address numbers shall be three inches in height, two inches in width, and the paint shall be an oil base, black in color on a white rectangular background.

(Code 1972, § 10.12.110; Ord. No. 583, § 1(part), 1983; Ord. No. 1333, § 1, 10-25-2016)

The city traffic engineer is authorized to determine and designate a through street, or intersections where a particular hazard exists, and to determine:

(1)

Whether vehicles shall stop at one or more entrances to any such intersection, in which event he shall erect a stop sign at every place where a stop is required; or

(2)

Whether vehicles shall yield the right-of-way to vehicles on a different street at such intersection, in which event he shall erect a yield sign at any place where obedience thereto is required.

(Code 1972, § 10.12.120; Ord. No. 583, § 1(part), 1983)

(a)

The city traffic engineer is authorized to establish, designate, and maintain, by appropriate devices, marks, or lines upon the surface of the roadway, crosswalks at intersections where in his opinion there is particular danger to pedestrians crossing the roadway, and at such other places as he may deem necessary.

(b)

The city traffic engineer may place signs at or adjacent to an intersection in respect to any crosswalk directing that pedestrians shall not cross in the crosswalk so indicated.

(Code 1972, § 10.12.130; Ord. No. 583, § 1(part), 1983)

(a)

The city traffic engineer is authorized to determine the location of no stopping zones and no parking areas for the purpose of establishing left-turn lanes, right-turn lanes, vehicle maneuvering zones and sight clearance zones and shall place and maintain appropriate signs or markings indicating the same and stating the hours during which the provisions of this chapter and the vehicle code are applicable.

(b)

No stopping zones and no parking areas shall be indicated by signs or by red paint upon the top and face of all curbs in said zones and areas.

(Code 1972, § 10.12.140; Ord. No. 831, § 1, 1990)

(a)

The chief of police of the city police department is authorized and empowered to charge and collect an impound release fee in such amount as may be established by resolution of the city council for the release of any vehicle impounded under authority of vehicle code section 22651 or this Code.

(b)

The impound release fee shall not be charged upon proof that the vehicle was improperly impounded under the state vehicle code or as provided for in this Code.

(c)

The impound release fee shall be refunded, in full, upon showing by the owner of said impound vehicle that the impoundment was executed without reasonable cause.

(d)

The revenue collected through the impound release fee will be used to defray the reasonable cost of the city police department in seizing, securing and processing impounded vehicles. Any surplus revenue will be used to defray future impound release fee increases.

(Code 1972, § 10.12.150; Ord. No. 583, § 1(part), 1983; Ord. No. 809, § 4, 1989)

No person shall stop, park, or leave standing any vehicle whether attended or unattended, except when necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic or in compliance with the directions of a peace officer or official traffic-control device, in any of the following places:

(1)

Within any divisional island unless authorized and clearly indicated with appropriate signs or markings;

(2)

In any area where the city traffic engineer determines that for the purpose of establishing left-turn lanes, right-turn lanes, vehicle maneuvering zones and sight clearance zones such as no stopping or no parking are needed;

(3)

In any area established by resolution of the city council as a no parking area, when such area is indicated by appropriate signs or by red paint upon the curb surface;

(4)

Within any parkway;

(5)

On any street or highway where the use of such street or highway or a portion thereof is necessary for the cleaning, repair or construction of the street or highway or the installation of underground utilities or where the use of the street or highway or any portion thereof is authorized for a purpose other than the normal flow of traffic or where the use of the street or highway or any portion thereof is necessary for the movement of equipment, articles, or structures of unusual size, and the parking of such vehicle would prohibit or interfere with such use or movement, provided that signs giving notice of such no parking are erected or placed at least 24 hours prior to the effective time of such no parking;

(6)

At any place when such place is indicated by appropriate signs or by red paint upon the curb surface except that a bus may stop at a designated bus stop.

(Code 1972, § 10.12.160; Ord. No. 831, § 2, 1990)