Placerville Municipal Code Ch. 12 Parades

This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the PARADE ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF PLACERVILLE. (Ord. 1002, 6-22-1971)

CHIEF OF POLICE: The chief of police of the city of Placerville.

CITY: The city of Placerville.

PARADE: Any parade, march, or procession of any kind, or any similar display, in or upon any street, park or other public place in the city.

PARADE COMMITTEE: The chief of police, the fire chief, the director of public works, the city administrator, one downtown merchant, and one city council member.

PARADE PERMIT: A permit as required by this chapter.

PERSON: Any person, firm, partnership, association, corporation, company or organization of any kind. (Ord. 1002, 6-22-1971; amd. Ord. 1412, 4-28-1987)

No person shall engage in, participate in, aid, form or start any parade, unless a parade permit shall have been obtained from the parade committee.

(A) Exceptions: This chapter shall not apply to:

1. Funeral processions conducted by a state of California licensed mortuary;

2. Students going to and from school classes or participating in educational activities, providing such conduct is under the immediate direction and supervision of the proper school authorities;

3. A governmental agency acting within the scope of its functions. (Ord. 1002, 6-22-1971)

A person seeking issuance of a parade permit shall file an application with the chief of police on forms provided by such officer.

(A) Filing Period: An application for a parade permit shall be filed with the chief of police not less than thirty (30) days nor more than sixty (60) days before the date on which it is proposed to conduct the parade.

(B) Contents: The application for a parade permit shall set forth the following information:

1. The name, address and telephone number of the person seeking to conduct such parade;

2. If the parade is proposed to be conducted for, on behalf of, or by an organization, the name, address and telephone number of the headquarters of the organization, and of the authorized and responsible heads of such organization;

3. The name, address and telephone number of the person who will be the parade chairman and who will be responsible for its conduct;

4. The date when the parade is to be conducted;

5. The route to be traveled, the starting point and the termination point;

6. The approximate number of persons who, and animals and vehicles which, will constitute such parade; the type of animals and description of vehicles;

7. The hours when such parade will start and terminate;

8. A statement as to whether the parade will occupy all or only a portion of the width of the streets proposed to be traversed;

9. The location by streets of any assembly areas for such parades;

10. The time at which units of the parade will begin to assemble at any such area or areas;

11. The interval of space to be maintained between units of such parade;

12. If the parade is designed to be held by, and on behalf of or for, any person other than the applicant, the applicant for such permit shall file with the parade committee a communication in writing from the person proposing to hold the parade, authorizing the applicant to apply for the permit on his behalf.

13. The purpose of the parade.

(C) Late Applications: The parade committee, where good cause is shown therefor, shall have the authority to consider any application hereunder which is filed less than thirty (30) days before the date such parade is proposed to be conducted. (Ord. 1002, 6-22-1971)

(D) Fee: There shall be paid at the time of filing an application for a parade permit a fee as set by resolution of the city council. There shall be no fee if the parade is for the purposes of promoting the city or youth organizations of the city. (Ord. 1300, 5-25-1982)

The parade committee shall issue a permit as provided for hereunder when, from a consideration of the application and from such other information as may otherwise be obtained, they find that:

(A) The conduct of the parade will not substantially interrupt the safe and orderly movement of other traffic contiguous to its route;

(B) The conduct of the parade will not require the diversion of so great a number of police officers of the city to properly police the line of movement and the areas contiguous thereto as to prevent normal police protection to the city;

(C) The conduct of such parade will not require the diversion of so great a number of ambulances as to prevent normal ambulance service to portions of the city other than that to be occupied by the proposed line of march and areas contiguous thereto;

(D) The concentration of persons, animals and vehicles at assembly points of the parade will not unduly interfere with proper fire and police protection of, or ambulance service to, areas contiguous to such assembly areas;

(E) The conduct of such parade will not interfere with movement of firefighting equipment en route to a fire;

(F) The parade is scheduled to move from its point of origin to its point of termination expeditiously and without unreasonable delays en route;

(G) The parade is not to be held for the purpose of advertising any produce or goods and is not designated to be held for private profit. (Ord. 1002, 6-22-1971)

The parade committee shall act upon the application for a parade permit within five (5) days after the filing thereof. If the parade committee disapproves the application, they shall mail to the applicant within five (5) days after the date upon which the application was filed, a notice of its action, stating the reasons for its denial of the permit. (Ord. 1002, 6-22-1971)

Any person aggrieved shall have the right to appeal the denial of a parade permit to the city council. The appeal shall be taken within ten (10) days after notice. The city council shall act upon the appeal within twenty one (21) days after its receipt. (Ord. 1002, 6-22-1971)

The parade committee, in denying an application for a parade permit, shall be empowered to authorize the conduct of the parade on a date, at a time, or over a route different from that named by the applicant. An applicant desiring to accept an alternate permit shall, within five (5) days after notice of the action of the parade committee, file a written notice of acceptance with the parade committee. An alternate parade permit shall conform to the requirements of, and shall have the effect of, a parade permit under this chapter. (Ord. 1002, 6-22-1971)

Immediately upon the issuance of a parade permit, the parade committee shall transmit a copy thereof to the mayor and the city council. (Ord. 1002, 6-22-1971)

Each parade permit shall state the following information:

(A) Starting time;

(B) Minimum speed;

(C) Maximum speed;

(D) Maximum interval of space to be maintained between the units of the parade;

(E) The portions of the streets to be traversed that may be occupied by the parade;

(F) The maximum length of the parade in miles or fractions thereof;

(G) Such other information as the parade committee shall find necessary to the enforcement of this chapter. (Ord. 1002, 6-22-1971)

A permittee hereunder shall comply with all permit directions and conditions and with all applicable laws and ordinances.

(A) Possession Of Permit: The parade chairman or other person heading or leading such activity shall carry the parade permit upon his person during the conduct of the parade. (Ord. 1002, 6-22-1971)

(A) Interference: No person shall unreasonably hamper, obstruct, or impede, or interfere with any parade or parade assembly or with any person, vehicle or animal participating or used in a parade.

(B) Driving Through Parades: No driver of a vehicle shall drive between the vehicles or persons comprising a parade when such vehicles or persons are in motion and are conspicuously designated as a parade.

(C) Parking On Parade Route: The chief of police shall have the authority, when reasonably necessary, to prohibit or restrict the parking of vehicles along a street, sidewalk, alley, parking lot or part thereof constituting a part of the route of a parade. The chief of police shall post signs to such effect, and it shall be unlawful for any person to park or leave unattended any vehicle in violation thereof. No person shall be liable for parking on a street unposted in violation thereof.

(D) Loud Noise: The sounding of any horn or signaling device on any automobile, motorcycle, or other vehicle along the route of the parade except as a danger warning, the racing of motors of any automobile, motorcycle or other vehicle parked along the route of the parade in such manner as to create a loud and unnecessary noise which annoys or disturbs the animals in the parade or is annoying or disturbing to the general public watching the parade shall be unlawful. (Ord. 1002, 6-22-1971)

The parade committee shall have the authority to revoke a parade permit issued hereunder if the standards for issuance as herein set forth are not complied with by the permit holder. (Ord. 1002, 6-22-1971)

If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase, or portion of this chapter is for any reason held invalid or unconstitutional by any court of competent jurisdiction, such portion shall be deemed a separate, distinct and independent provision and such holding shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions thereof. (Ord. 1002, 6-22-1971)

Each summer the city of Placerville has a parade in connection with "Wagon Train" which is an event for the promotion of the greater Placerville area. Animals participate in this parade. Each year this event draws more attention and brings more people. Recent occurrences in another Mother Lode community make it apparent that there should be regulations for the purpose of controlling the vehicular traffic during a parade and to further control unnecessary, loud noises from vehicles which possibly could disturb the animals participating in the parade and would make it impossible for the general public to enjoy the parade activities. For the above reasons this chapter should be declared as an urgency ordinance so as to be in effect at the time of the Wagon Train Parade and this will be for the best interest of the general public health, safety and welfare. (Ord. 1002, 6-22-1971)